Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite unexpected desserts. Traditional strawberry shortcake is super unassuming with its craggily biscuit-like shortbreads topped with loosely chopped berries and a dollop of cream. I’ve never met someone who did not devour a plate of strawberry shortcake when handed to them on a summer day.
This cake-style riff on the summer favorite oozes SoCal summer style. It is a casual chic ode to the freshness of the season’s berries and the lightness of a fresh whipped topping.
I’m super excited to collaborate with America’s Test Kitchen again on the release of their new and first ever all-cake cookbook, The Perfect Cake!
You may remember their The Perfect Cookie cookbook, from which I made these Dulce de Leche Sandwich cookies. In true ATK fashion, I have since turned to the cookbook when looking for inventive and reliable cookie recipe inspiration.
It has been so busy lately that I haven’t taken the time to do one of my favorite things: actually read a cookbook from start to finish. This cookbook has 240 kitchen-tested recipes that you can trust to work perfectly each time. I’ve tried a handful of the recipes so far, such as the classic red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting (duh), classic white cake with Swiss buttercream (perfect for parties and celebrations), and then this strawberry cream cake recipe.
I love this strawberry layer cake, not only because it’s beautiful with the strawberries peeking through the edges in the naked cake style, but also because the whipped cream includes one of my favorite ingredients: cream cheese. This addition helps by making it a little bit more sturdy than a traditional whipped cream and it adds a little tang reminiscent of a thicker frosting.
To make the juicy strawberry layer, you’ll chop and macerate the strawberries in a bit of sugar. This helps soften the berries and draw out their juices. The dough for the cake layer is light and airy, made with a number of egg whites to add lift and spongy texture.
America’s Test Kitchen’s The Perfect Cake cookbook has a mix of different cake types for any occasion, layer cakes, sheet cakes, tortes, bundts, snack cakes, and ice cream cakes. With plenty of options for customization, I’m excited to mix and match for my next celebration. A blackberry mascarpone lemon cake to celebrate a Wednesday? Count me in.
You could actually use the strawberry cream cake recipe and substitute in different berries I imagine if strawberries are not in season. Why not try it with some raspberries or blueberries? The main concept would be the same and you will not regret making the out-of-this-world cream cheese whipped cream.
strawberry cream cake
Ingredients
Strawberry Cream Cake
- 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
- 1 1/4 cup (5 ounces) cake flour
- 1 1/2 (teaspoons baking powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs (2 whole, 3 separated), room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch cream of tartar
Filling
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled (6 cups)
- 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons kirsch
- Pinch salt
Whipped Cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Instructions
- FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325°F. Grease tall 9 inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease parchment and flour pan. Reserve 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reserving whites), melted butter, water, and vanilla until smooth.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites and cream of tartar at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Using rubber spatula, stir one-third of whites into batter and then gently fold remaining white into batter until no white streaks remain.
- Transfer batter into prepared pan, smooth top with rubber spatula and bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, invert cake to remove it from pan, discarding parchment, and let cake cool on rack until cool, about 2 hours.
- FOR THE FILLING: Halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve. Quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (depending on sweetness of berries) in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup). Pulse berries in food processor for about five 1-second pulses until coarsely chopped. In small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside until cake is cooled.
- FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: When cake has cooled, fit stand mixer with whisk attachment and whip cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Reduce speed to low and add cream in slow, steady stream. When almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
- TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Using large serrated knife, cut two horizontal lines around the sides of cake. Then, following scored lines, cut cake into three even layers. Place bottom layer on platter and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down, and stem ends facing out in ring around perimeter of cake layer. Pour half of puréed berry mixture (about 3/4 cup) in center, then spread evenly to cover cake. Gently spread one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge. Top with middle cake layer pressing lightly to adhere (whipped cream layer should become flush with cake edge). Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream. Top with remaining last cake layer pressing lightly to adhere. Spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining strawberries. Serve. Cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
