Strawberry Cake Fluffy (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake Base
01 -
70 g caster sugar
02 -
4 large egg whites
03 -
4 large egg yolks
04 -
75 g cake flour
05 -
50 g unsalted butter
06 -
80 g whole milk
→ Macerated Strawberries
07 -
1.5 teaspoons granulated sugar
08 -
340–450 g fresh strawberries, set aside some
→ Whipped Cream Frosting
09 -
2 tablespoons cold water (optional)
10 -
0.75 teaspoon powdered gelatin (optional)
11 -
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
12 -
280 g heavy whipping cream
→ Cake Syrup
13 -
3 tablespoons hot water
14 -
2 tablespoons sugar
# How to Make It:
01 -
Pop parchment in the bottom of a 20-cm (8-inch) round pan. Switch your oven on to 160°C while you do this.
02 -
Boil some water and grab a deep baking dish to fit the cake pan. You want water to go about 2.5 cm up the side of your pan. If you're using a springform or removable bottom, wrap it snug with foil.
03 -
Heat milk and butter until they're melted, then stir them together real good in a medium bowl. Sift in flour, stir gently with a spatula until it's smooth. Add yolks and mix those in until the batter just comes together.
04 -
Toss egg whites into a bowl, use a stand mixer or whisk. Beat 'em at high speed until foamy. Add in sugar a little at a time, then keep whipping until you see shiny peaks that hold their shape.
05 -
Scoop about a quarter of those beaten whites into the yolky batter, fold together gently. Next, pour all that back into the remaining whites and fold everything until barely blended—don't overdo it.
06 -
Pour everything into your lined pan. Tap the pan down twice to help pop any big bubbles. Put the cake pan in your water bath, add hot water up to about 2.5 cm high. Bake 90 minutes until a stick poked in the middle comes out clean and the cake shrinks a tad from the edge.
07 -
Slide a knife around the edge to make sure it doesn't stick. Flip it onto a rack to cool down all the way before you try slicing or decorating.
08 -
Chop up 225 g of strawberries into thin slices—about half a centimeter thick. Sprinkle on sugar, toss lightly, and let it chill for 1 to 2 hours till they're shiny. Catch all the juice and move the berries to a dish.
09 -
Mix sugar with hot water till it dissolves. Feel free to pour in some strawberry juice for extra taste.
10 -
For a sturdier cream: Soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes, then melt it. Whip cold cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks show up; blend a scoop of that cream with the melted gelatin, then fold back into the rest. Continue whipping just to soft peaks. Don't overdo it. For simpler cream: Whip cream and sugar till you get firmer peaks.
11 -
Cut off the browned top from your cool cake. Slice it horizontally so you get two even pieces. Brush syrup onto the cut sides so they soak it up.
12 -
Set the bottom half on your plate or stand cut side up, smear on a thin layer of cream, spread sliced berries, another light layer of cream, then plop the top cake on cut side down to match up the edges.
13 -
Spread a thin bit of cream around the sides, pile on a thicker layer up top. Smooth it out. Add extra cream with a piping bag if you want borders, and use your leftover berries (whole or sliced) to decorate the top.
14 -
If you used the gelatin cream, stick the cake in the fridge for half an hour to firm it up. With regular cream, dig in right away or stash in the fridge for a couple hours max for the best bite.
15 -
Use a serrated knife to cut neat pieces. Let the cake warm up for about an hour (if stabilized cream) before sharing.
# Additional Tips:
01 -
Eggs split easiest when cold, but whites whip better if they're at room temp.
02 -
No cake stand? Flip a bowl or pan upside down, pop on a flat plate, and use that as your work surface.