Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
For the Cake
1/3cmilk
4tbspbutter
½ccake flour
4large eggsseparated
½csugar
For the Strawberries
1lbstrawberries
1 ½tspsugar
For the Soaking Liquid
2tbspsugar
3tbsphot water
For the Icing
1 ¼cwhipping cream
2tbsppowdered sugar
¾tspgelatin
2tbspcold water
Instructions
Make the Cake
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position the rack in the center.
Line the bottom of an 8” round springform pan with parchment paper and wrap a layer of aluminum foil around the bottom to prevent leaks.
Ready a high-sided oven proof pan or dish for a water bath. The springform pan should fit in it easily and the water will need to be high enough to come 1” up the sides of the springform pan. Boil some water to use for this.
Heat the butter and milk together gently until the butter has melted. Put it into a medium size bowl.
Add the cake flour to the butter and milk and stir until smooth (there may be a few small lumps).
Add the egg yolks and stir until well combined.
Beat the eggs whites on high speed until they are frothy. Slowly add the sugar one spoonful at a time while continuing to beat the whites. The eggs whites should turn shiny and glossy and hold a soft peak. (The top of the peak will flop over instead of standing stiffly).
Put a large spoonful of egg whites (about ¼ of the amount) into the milk and flour mixture and fold it in until it is smooth. Add the batter to the remaining egg whites and fold it in until it is just mixed. Do not overmix it or you may deflate the batter.
Scoop or pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it evenly then pick up the pan and drop it from a height of 2-3” to release any large bubbles.
Put the cake pan in the pan you are using for the water bath and pour in hot water up to 1” high.
Place the pan in the water bath in the center of the pre-heated oven and cook for 90 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR. The cake may collapse if you do. It’s best not to check it until it has been in the oven for 80 minutes. The cake is done when it pulls away from the sides and a tester comes out clean.
Once done, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides and bottom from the cake pan. Let the cake cool completely before continuing. (You can stop here and finish the recipe the next day if you like.)
Prepare the Strawberries
Slice the strawberries into 1/4”-1/2” slices. Sprinkle them with a little sugar and let them sit for an hour. Remove the strawberries to a paper lined plate or tray and save the liquid which they have extruded.
Make the Soaking Syrup
Stir together 2 tablespoons of sugar and three tablespoons of hot water. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, stir in the liquid from the strawberries.
Make the Icing
Put the gelatin and water together in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then microwave for 10-20 seconds until full melted.
Sift the powdered sugar over the heavy cream in the bowl of a mixer. Start whipping on medium. Stop as soon as it is making soft peaks. Put a large spoonful of the whipped cream into the melted gelatin. Stir it until it is smooth. With the mixer at medium, slowly add the gelatin mixture to the whipped cream. Whip it only until soft peaks are formed. Do not overwhip it or it will separate.
Assemble the cake.
Cut the cake into two even layers.
Brush half the soaking liquid over the top of one layer. Spread a thin layer of icing over it then arrange as many strawberries as you can fit evenly on top. Spread another thin layer over the strawberries.
Place the top layer on the cake and brush with the remaining soaking liquid.
Ice the top and sides of the cake and finish with whole strawberries if desired.