Italian Sponge Layer Cake Wstrawberries Whipped Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop about a quarter of the strawberries and combine in a medium heatproof bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl once or twice to dissolve any stubborn sugar clumps, until they've released all their juices, are mushy, and swim in a translucent red liquid, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup.) The mushy berries will have given off their color and flavor, and even though you won't use them in the cake, they're still tasty. Reserve the berries for spooning over pancakes or yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously by hand, or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick, light and holding a medium peak. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining raw strawberries lengthwise.
• Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Holding a long serrated knife horizontally and parallel to the work surface, use it to lightly score all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Then, using long, even strokes and still holding the knife parallel to the surface, slice clean through the cake, using the score marks as a guide, to cut it into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
• Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first, cut side up. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top. (If not serving immediately, cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Slice the cake with a serrated knife and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.
• Add sugar and continue beating until thoroughly mixed. Add flavor.
• Mix flour and baking powder together. Fold into egg yolk mixture.
• In separate large bowl,beat whites until they hold their peaks. Gently fold into egg/flour mixture.
• Pour into UNGREASED tube pan and bake 350* for 40 - 50 minutes. Cake will raise above top of pan and be golden brown.
• Insert neck of heavy long necked bottle into neck of tube and invert cake over bottle to hang upside down until cooled.
• Slice into 3 layers
• Add sugar and vanilla to whipping cream and whip till stiff (Do not overbeat) Spread between layers, top and around sides of cake. Decorate top with fresh berries.
• Use SERRATED knife in 'sawing' motion to slice, and pour thawed strawberries over individual slice.

Steps:

• Bake the cake layers:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, leaving sides unlined and ungreased. Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat; set aside.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place stand mixer bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved (use your fingers to check). Transfer bowl to stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed with the whisk attachment until mixture is cooled and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes (when you lift the whisk, mixture should fall back on itself in thick ribbons).
• Transfer melted butter to a medium bowl. Add thyme, vanilla, and 1 cup egg mixture to butter and whisk to combine.
• Transfer remaining egg mixture to a large wide bowl. Sift half of the flour over egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula or large balloon whisk, fold flour gently into egg mixture until almost fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour, then fold in butter mixture with spatula just until incorporated. Gently divide batter between prepared pans; smooth surface.
• Bake cakes until tops are deep golden and centers spring back when pressed lightly, 25-30 minutes. Immediately run a knife around edges and remove springform. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cakes cool completely.
• Make the syrup:
• Bring sugar, thyme, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Let sit until cool, about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup and chill until ready to use.
• Assemble the cake:
• Using a serrated knife, trim top of each cake to make them flat. Brush tops with 2-3 Tbsp. syrup per cake, depending on how concentrated you'd like the thyme flavor to be.
• Toss 10 oz. strawberries with1 Tbsp. syrup in a medium bowl and let sit at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, whip heavy cream to soft peaks in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add sour cream and 2 Tbsp. syrup and whip to stiff peaks.
• Transfer 1 cake layer to a platter and top with syrup-macerated strawberries. Top with half of the whipped cream, then place second cake layer gently on the first. Top with remaining whipped cream. Chill to set, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, arrange remaining 6 oz. strawberries, baby strawberries, if using, and thyme over cake.
• Do Ahead
• Cakes can be baked and syrup-soaked, but not assembled, 2 days ahead; wrap layers separately in plastic and chill. Thyme syrup can be made 5 days ahead; chill in a resealable container. Assembled cake can be made 12 hours ahead; chill.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper. Butter and flour paper and sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in 3 parts and milk in 2, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally; place bottom half, cut side up, on a serving plate.
• Make topping: In a large bowl, combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside. Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan, and sprinkle with gelatin; let soften 5 minutes. Place saucepan over very low heat, and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; let cool.
• Using an electric mixer, beat cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl until very soft peaks form. Continue to beat, and gradually add gelatin mixture; beat until soft peaks form.
• Arrange half of strawberries over bottom cake layer; top with half of whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover with top half of cake, cut side down. Top cake with remaining whipped cream, leaving a 1-inch border. Refrigerate cake and remaining strawberries separately, at least 1 hour (or up to 1 day). Just before serving, spoon strawberries over cake.