When my oldest was a tyke his favorite cake was the Barefoot Contessa’s Strawberry Country Cake. This was his cake of choice for his birthday for quite a few years… Then Along Came Daddy (his Carrot Cake actually) that put the kibosh on the strawberry cake, so sad. After I shoved my ego aside, I was FINE with Wes’s Carrot Cake becoming the birthday cake of choice. It is pretty damn tasty.
The other birthday tradition we have, which thankfully has stayed the same, is going to a SF Giants game. His birthday is in June, right about the time baseball is in full swing and school is out for the summer. This year was no exception; we planned the perfect day for his birthday.
Giants versus the Cubbies on Pride Day! We got very cool jerseys and after the game headed to our favorite neighborhood Chinese Restaurant, Gourmet Carousel (which recently re-opened with the OG owners-yay) for a downhome meal.
A Break from Tradition
When the weather warms up and the days get longer, this pops into my head, “Hey, shouldn’t P&K Farms Strawberries and Triple Delight Blueberries be at the farmers market?”. As luck would have it, both P&K and Triple Delight were there the week of his birthday. I made a command decision…Ina’s Country Cake with Strawberries for his birthday this year, NOT Carrot Cake. He’s a big boy; he can handle it.
It Was A Hit
Ina Garten’s Country Cake with Strawberries recipe is from a long-ago issue of Food & Wine. If you Google Ina Garten’s Strawberry Country Cake, you will find multiple sites that have published it. Why Food & Wine’s version? The recipe calls for large eggs. Barefoot Contessa fans know she often uses extra-large eggs in her recipes (which I rarely buy). So this version is my go-to.
I adore this cake; it is buttery, with a nice crumb, and is not too sweet. Classic prep, cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, and then the sour cream and zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the batter is well combined and homogenous, but try not to overbeat. The addition of lemon and orange zest adds a refreshing citrus hint that is terrific with berries, and the sour cream lends a hint of tang and moisture to the cake. Spread batter into an 8-inch round cake pan that has been buttered and floured. The batter is fairly thick, not pourable; you’ll need an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan.
I would increase the amount of whipping cream to 1-1/2 cups, and decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons, especially if your berries are sweet. Your whipped cream fans will be happy.
Split the cake into two layers. The easiest way I know how to do this is with a serrated bread knife. Place the knife at the midline of your cake and slice through to the middle only, keeping your knife level. Rotate the cake and continue to slice from the outside to the middle. The first cut acts as your knife’s guide for an even cake. Easy peasy.
Whip It, Whip It Good
Start with heavy whipping cream, preferably pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized. Ultra is heated to a higher temperature and does not whip as well. Heavy whipping cream has a higher percentage of butterfat than whipping cream (36% vs 30%), and heck, it’s dessert, so we are going for the gusto. Chill your heavy whipping cream, bowl, and whisk attachment before whipping. This kickstarts the process for the lightest whipped cream possible. Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl and whisk at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. You want peaks that will stand up, but the tip will slowly fall over. Don’t overdo it, if the cream looks a bit grainy, or curdled that’s too far. If you go too far, add a bit of heavy cream and fold it in with a spatula. This will loosen the whipped cream and smooth it out again.
Plop a generous amount of cream on the bottom layer of your split cake. Spread to the edge, leaving a small border. Arrange your berries on the cream. Dice the strawberries for this layer to maximize the number of berries. Top with the second split layer, cut side down. Top with whipped cream, then arrange the halved strawberries on the cream and finish with blueberries and raspberries, if desired. Serve to oohs and ahhs from the cake gallery.
Add this cake to your Bake It Bucket List. Now.