April 26, 2013

Strawberry Cake

It may be a tad early but since strawberries are emerging left and right at the markets these days, it would be fair to admit that strawberry season is upon us.  Last week, I had boxes and boxes of strawberries greeting me at the market entrance.  Most of them are already big, beautiful and crimson, though their perfume and sweetness are rather subdued.  Strawberries are not at the peak of their season just yet, but they definitely shine in this Strawberry Cake. 





Growing up, my grandparents’ garden was vastly populated with gorgeous rows of strawberries.  And every spring I would peek underneath each strawberry patch savagely foraging for the ripest and most perfect exemplars.  The strawberries would reveal themselves like hidden treasures, which only made my thrill and enthusiasm almost palpable.  Now, if you assumed that these splendid fruits found their place into my grandmother’s Strawberry Cake, you would be totally wrong.  In fact, they were all reserved for the express purpose of eating them fresh.

 



That’s right!  So, this cake, although similar in shape with this glorious summer sensation, is known in my grandmother’s repertoire as a Sour Cherry Cake.  I just couldn’t wait for sour cherries to come into season and decided that strawberries would be the perfect substitute; and they were indeed.   





First, the strawberries are soaked and lightly sweetened in glossy agave nectar; then the exquisite bright red slices speckle the top, and while in the oven they descend slowly into the warm batter.  Out of the oven, the strawberries, just like the sour cherries, still maintain a delicate tartness that plays beautifully against the sweetness of the moist and light dough.  When I first made this cake, I didn’t know what to expect or how the strawberries would hold their shape and aroma; but it was all I hoped it would be – a charming, one for the ages Strawberry Cake!                       



Strawberry Cake
By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Serves: 32 squares

Ingredients:

·         1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
·         1 kilogram (2 pounds) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
·         2 Tablespoons light agave syrup
·         400 grams (14 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
·         8 grams (2 teaspoons) baking powder
·         6 large eggs, at room temperature
·         400 grams (14 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for dusting
·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract
·         100 ml vegetable oil
·         100 ml tap water, at room temperature
·         1/8 teaspoon salt



 
Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 14 x10 x 2-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a small bowl, mix the strawberries and agave syrup and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Then drain the extra syrup from the strawberries.  Keep close at hand.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder.  Set aside. 




Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.  In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium-low speed beat the egg yolks, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract for about 2-3 minutes until all the ingredients are well incorporated and the color is light yellow.  Gradually and with the hand mixer on low speed, add the vegetable oil and then the water until well incorporated.  In batches, add the flour and baking powder mixture and beat until incorporated.   




In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until they hold medium-firm peaks.  In batches, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.   





Pour the obtained batter into the prepared pan.  Arrange the strawberries on top.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown, a tester comes out clean and the fruits have submerged into the dough.  Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a rack.  Slice the cake into squares and carefully take the squares out of the pan and arrange them on a serving platter.  Dust with confectioners’ sugar and enjoy! 




Note:  Feel free to use sour cherries instead of strawberries when sour cherries come into season.  You won’t regret it! 




Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

33 comments:

  1. My mouth is watering! Going to try this this weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Rachel! Let me know how the cake turned out :)

      Delete
  2. Alas, someone else who lives for the glorious (but tragically brief) sour cherry season! This will definitely hold me over until I can bake a sour cherry pie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally agree! This strawberry cake will keep you happy until sour cherries come into season :) Thank you, Katy! :)

      Delete
  3. I would love a huge bite... or the whole cake ;)

    Cheers
    CCU

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha :D I would take the whole cake, too! Thanks so much, Uru!

      Delete
  4. Simple and delicious. I'll take a slice!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your strawberry cake recipe looks absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to try it next week :) I bet this cake goes so well with ice cream! Laura

    ReplyDelete
  6. i have so many strawberries in the fridge right now, i've just gotta make this! looks absolutely wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for the very nice comment, Jenn! :) I think that you will love this strawberry cake recipe if you get a chance to try it!

      Delete
  7. Dana, what a beautiful bake!! And I'm loving all your drool-worthy photos and styling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jaime! Always so nice to hear from you! And thank you so much for the wonderful and encouraging words about my pictures! Really appreciate it :)

      Delete
  8. This cake is so beautiful! Light and fluffy - it looks like the perfect summer treat :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Alex! You are right! This cake is perfect for summer, spring or anytime :D

      Delete
  9. Hi Dana! I made your strawberry cake this morning and it was absolutely delicious! I'll make it again for my afternoon tea party this weekend :) Laura

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Laura! I'm so, so happy to hear that you loved the strawberry cake! It sounds like it was a delicious treat for your afternoon tea party, too :)

      Delete
  10. I used to go berry picking when I was little too - great times! What a beautiful looking strawberry cake. I would love to make this - it looks so perfect for a girls afternoon tea xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I miss the berry picking times, too :( I think that this strawberry cake would be perfect for a girls afternoon tea! :)

      Delete
  11. What a treat that must have been to be able to eat all of those fresh! This looks like a wonderful cake too. We've got some strawberries left at the markets but not many! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Lorraine! I hope that you can still find some fresh berries at the market and get to try this cake; it's a treat :)

      Delete
  12. This cake looks amazing! I always get really excited when I start seeing strawberries pop up on market stalls too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Jenny! I love to see strawberries at the markets these days, too! They're perfect after a rather long winter :)

      Delete
  13. Hi Dana,

    Your strawberry cake cake looks wonderful! I really envy you having this beautiful strawberry and Spring season... It's all wet and cold here in Melbourne.

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oohh... so sorry to hear that the weather is not great in Melbourne :( But thank you for the nice comment :)

      Delete
  14. super prajitura. tata te pupa

    ReplyDelete
  15. I absolutely understand the need to eat freshly picked strawberries raw! And I think this cake would be perfect with cherries. I froze some from last summer (we´re in autumn now) and this coffee cake would be a great recipe to use them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Paula! Cherries would work beautifully in this cake. My grandma uses sour cherries and they’re always a hit! :)

      Delete
  16. Hi Dana ~ I made your strawberry cake and blogged about it. I loved it! Here is my link, and thank you! Let me know if you want me to change anything.

    http://angiecooksinportland.blogspot.com/2013/06/strawberry-cake.html

    Angie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Angie! Thank you so much for making and blogging about my strawberry cake! I'm so happy you loved it; you did an amazing job and the cake looks absolutely gorgeous! I wouldn't change a thing :)

      Delete
  17. I will try your recepie.Looks amazing.
    Lili din Bv

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lilly! And thanks so much for stopping by! Let me know how the cake turns out :)

      Delete