Strawberry Shortcake
by Chef Patricia DeMauro
INGREDIENTS
Vanilla Cake
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 and 3/4 cups all purpose shifted flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/4 cup sour cream at room temperature
1/3 cup whole milk
1 TBS vanilla extract
Macerated Strawberries
2 cups sliced & hulled strawberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Buttercream
8 large egg whites
2 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups unsalted butter
1 TBS vanilla extract
Whipping Cream
1 8 oz container whipping cream
2 cups granulated sugar (if more sugar is needed to make the cream firm – please add another 1/2 cup)
1 -2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Jam For Filling
8 oz strawberry jam
PREPARATION
Cake
Preheat your oven to 325°F then liberally spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with non-stick baking spray or grease and flour.
In your mixer bowl, add oil and butter and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add in sugar and beat on high speed for an additional 4-5 minutes until very pale yellow and fluffy. Next, add eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides as needed.
Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour into batter in two increments then add baking powder, salt and baking soda. Be careful not to over beat.
Last, add sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.
Evenly pour cake batter into prepared baking pans and place in oven to bake for 17-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes just barely clean but don’t over bake!!
Remove cakes from oven and rest in pans for 10-15 minutes. Invert cakes from pans onto cooling racks until cooled.
Berries
Stir strawberry slices with sugar and vanilla to combine in a medium sized bowl. Cover and set aside.
Buttercream
Put an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir egg whites, sugar and salt until combined.
Place mixing bowl over saucepan but be careful not to let the water touch the bottom of the mixing bowl.
Stir with a spatula until the sugar dissolves and reaches a temp of 160 F, about 5 minutes. While you stir, scrap the sides of the bowl to ensure no sugar grains are lurking on the sides.
Remove mixing bowl from heat and add to stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. They will be glossy. This can take up to 10 minutes. Be patient it is well worth it. The bowl will continue to cool down in the process as well.
Reduce the speed to low and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter at a time making sure to mix in thoroughly after each addition. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to frost cake.
Whipping Cream
Place 1 8 oz container of whipping and 2 tsp vanilla exract in your mixing bowl.
Using whisk on high speed, add slowly two cups of sugar one cup at a time. This step requires patience.
Whipped Cream will start to thicken and fluffy. Yum (If you need to add another ½ cup of sugar, do so. Cover and set aside in refrigerator until ready to assemble cake.
In the meantime, in a medium sauce pan add 8 oz. Strawberry jam and a tiny bit of water over low heat and stir until jam softens.
You will use this with the strawberries in between layers.
Putting the cake together
First remove each cake from the tin. I run a knife around the inside rim of the cake.
Then turn tin of one cake pan on to a cake dish or cake board
Place ½ buttercream in a large piping bag fitted with a round tip or just use a spatula and coat the outside of the one layer on cake with buttercream go up and above the rim of the cake.
I use whipping cream for the filling. So, now add a dollop of whipping cream on top of the first layer of cake and with a clean spatula spread evely over the cake top. Add macerated strawberries and drizzle a bit of softened strawberry jam on top of strawberries and whipped cream.
Add second layer of cake on top of filling of first layer of cake; and, pressing second layer down to secure on top of first layer. Then repeat steps 2 and 3.
Finally, add the last (3rd) layer of cake and press down slightly. Frost top and sides with buttercream. And, run a spatula or flat cake knife over sides to evenly spread buttercream around the side of all three layers.
After frosting the top of the cake with buttercream, decorate with the macerated strawberries.
Mangia!!
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