Vanilla Cake with Strawberry filling and Whipped Frosting

I'm ready for spring! There I said it, I hate snow, I hate winter and I hate winter sports. Everything is frozen solid, snow everywhere and high heating bills can drive me to the brink of insanity. Over the weekend when I stopped by my local organic market they had these beautiful strawberries on sale. They were large, plump and irresistible.  This cake made good use of those strawberries. Enjoy!

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Vanilla Cake
Serves 12

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-by-2-inch cake pan, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Pour batter into cake pan; smooth top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan and invert cake onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Strawberry Filling:
1 lb strawberries (set aside about 8 strawberries for garnish)
Superfine sugar
Strawberry jam

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread jam and strawberries evenly over cake half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices.

For the Icing:
1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla xtract

 To ice the cake whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable. Add vanilla xtract.

Garnish: quarter strawberries and decorate your cake to your liking.