Source:

Sue Zelez

Serves/Makes:8 or more

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups (600 ml) sifted cake flour
• 2/3 cup (150 ml) sugar
• 4 tsp (20 ml) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5 ml) Salt
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) butter
• 1-1/4 cups (300 ml) milk
• 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon extract
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) vanilla extract
• 5 egg yolks
• 4 cups (950 ml) strawberries
• 2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream, whipped with 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar and 1 tsp (5 ml). vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) red currant jelly

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 C.).
• Sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
• Add the butter and half the milk.
• Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
• Add the remaining milk, lemon extract, vanilla extract and the egg yolks.
• Beat with the electric mixer for another two minutes.
• Pour the batter into two buttered layer-cake pans that have been lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree (175 C.) oven for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centers of the layers comes out clean.
• While the cake is cooling, wash and hull the strawberries.
• Fold the chopped strawberries into one cup of the whipped cream.
• Place one cake layer, top side down, on a serving plate.
• Spread it with the strawberry-cream filling.
• Top with the second cake layer, top side up (I'd put the bottom side up myself, in order to make a flat surface). Slice the reserved strawberries lengthwise.
• Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the cake, starting at the outer edge and placing the slices with their pointed ends toward the edge of the cake.
• After the first circle of berries is complete, continue placing the berries in this manner until the top is covered.
• Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes.
• Melt the red currant jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
• Carefully spoon or brush the hot jelly over the strawberries.
• Spread some of the remaining whipped cream around the sides of the cake.
• Spoon the rest of the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 190 drop flower tube. Pipe rosettes between the strawberry points around the rim of the cake. Then change to a No. 24 star tube and fill-in the spaces.
• Finally, change to a No. 71 leaf tube, and pipe a border around the bottom edge of the cake.
• If you do not wish to decorate the cake with decorating tips, spoon the remaining cream in small puffs on the top of the cake between the strawberries.
• Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.

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