{strawberries & cream cake}

I bought some fabulous (& huge!) strawberries from our local produce market the other day. Then I realized I had to use them up before they ruined, so I looked up a recipe which included fresh strawberries. Over at The Hungry Mouse I found a wonderful recipe! This cake turned out very moist and delicious! It turns out a bit more dense than a normal cake, but not "too" dense. My family ate it with whipped cream and with the cake warm or cold, it's delightful! The chunks of strawberry make it tasty and beautiful at the same time. I think I'm going to make it using frozen blackberries next - YUM! I honestly think any berry would work perfectly in this cake.



Strawberries & Cream Cake

3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbls. butter (1/2 a stick), softened
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups strawberries, sliced (I also coated my slices in a few tablespoons of sugar)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round cake pan. Cut a round of parchment paper and fit it inside your buttered pan. It doesn't have to be a perfect circle. If it creeps up the edges a little, that’s just fine. Set the pan aside.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. When the mixture is fairly uniform, mix in the cream. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on high to combine. Beat until the batter just comes together. If you overdo it, the cake won’t be as tender. The batter will be really thick, almost like a soft cookie dough. When your batter is mixed, fold in the strawberries gently by hand, with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

When the batter is fairly uniform, scrape it out into your prepared cake pan. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, smooth the batter down so it’s even. Pop it into your preheated, 375 degree oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is firm and golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. (I didn't have a 10 inch pan, only 9 inch - so mine baked around 40-45 minutes.)

Set the cake pan on a rack and cool it right in the pan. To serve, slice into wedges or squares. We ate some warm out of the oven, and some cool, even from the fridge, and the cake is great in every way. You can serve as is, or top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or fresh, sliced strawberries.



Check out The Hungry Mouse for more great recipes!