Strawberry Shortcake Cake

A very light lovely cake - made with fresh strawberries

For the Cake

1-1/2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs at room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
fresh strawberries, halved, mixed with powdered sugar

For the Filling
2 cups cold heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180 C

Lightly grease an 8 inch springform cake pan 

In a mixing bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt until combined.

In a small saucepan heat milk and butter; bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and lemon juice.

In your mixer's bowl, combine eggs and sugar; beat until pale yellow, fluffy, and doubled in size.

With the mixer on, slowly pour in the milk mixture; mix until well incorporated.

Turn off mixer and gently fold in the flour mixture.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Remove from oven and set pan on a cooling rack.

Remove Cake from tin and cool completely

In the meantime, prepare the frosting.

In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.

When cake is completely cooled, cut into 3 layers. 

Spread half of the whipped frosting over 1 of the cake layers.

Sprinkle some of the strawberries on top.

Repeat with second layer

Top with the last cake layer.

Spread the rest of the whipped frosting over the cake.

Top with fresh strawberries.  Brush with some melted strawberry jam

Chill cake for 1 hour.

Serve.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake

Talk of being lazy.  I have not updated my baking on the blog for ages.  For one reason or the other the pics have been saved on my phone but not uploaded.  So here I am writing these out ---- before I get lazy again  

This is a great recipe if you are like me and buy strawberries in bulk.  Because the strawberries make this moist you will need to refrigerate it.  It tastes equally good cold.  You could make this with any fruit 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp butter, softned
• 3 tbsp yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• chocolate chips - as much or little as you want.
• Strawberries, washed and halved

Method

• Line a 9" loose bottom or springform tin with butter paper,  Grease the sides and dust with flour
• Preheat the oven to 180C
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt 
• Beat the sugar and butter in a separate bowl till light and fluffy
• Add in the yogurt beating till fully mixed
• Add in the egg and vanilla and beat again.
• Mix in the milk.
• Fold in the flour, carefully making sure not to overmix
• Fold in half the choco chips keeping some for the top
• Pour into prepared cake tin and arrange the strawberries on top.
• Sprinkle balance choco chips between the strawberries.
• Bake the cake for 45 mins or till done.
• Remove from oven and let cool in the cake tin.
• Remove from tin once cooled.

POUND CAKE

A beautiful moist and buttery cake.  Can be eaten plain or with ice cream.

Normally a pound cake takes equal proportions of everything - flour, butter, eggs but this version is lighter.  

3 eggs at room temperature

3 tablespoons milk at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

150 grams sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

150 grams granulated sugar

185 grams butter, softened

1. Prepare the cake tin - I used a loaf tin, buttered the sides and lined the base with parchment paper.
2. Weigh the flour after sifting.
3. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl - that is the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
4. In a separate bowl lightly beat the eggs, add in the vanilla extract and milk.
5. To the dry ingredients add the softened butter and half the egg mix and beat on low to incorporate both. 
6. Increase beater spead to medium and beat for another minute to aerate the mix
7. Add in the remaining egg mix in two lots, beating well, ensuring to scrape down the sides
8. Transfer to the prepared tin and bake for 60 minutes in a preheated 180 C oven

Remove the cake from the oven and leave in the pan for 10 mins before transfering to a wire rack to cool.

This cake normally has a crack on the top so don't worry about it.  If, while baking you find, it is turning too dark, cover with a piece of foil.