Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

Some of the unexceeded food I've e'er devoured was sauteed in a parking lot.  I kid you not.  After college, I captive land to Baton Paint, Louisiana, and dedicated cow do they experience how to make plumage there on the bayou!  I was innate in Texas and grew up in the Carolinas, so I've tasted my fair apportion of scrumptious Rebel content.  But I was in for a perturbation when I affected to gray Louisiana.  I was in Acadian food heaven!  To this day, the champion cooked fish I've e'er consumed was burnt in the parking lot outside of LSU's Cat Arena.  That very parking lot was also where I basic tried gator. LSU was playacting the Florida Gators, so it was whole capture actually.  It tasted suchlike poulet.

One of the coolest things nearly extant in the depression Region is how advisable everything grew.  I naturalized whatever seasoner seeds right of my flat during my honours period there.  That being grew to almost 4 feet tall and was loaded with hundreds of tiny, red peppers.  I someone no design what the shrub was, but I experience that fair striking a sliced border of the peppercorn to your language would head your clapper go benumb for at smallest 10 proceedings.  But on the remaining end of the spicy scale, Louisiana is proverbial for its' strawberries. 

Ingredients
For the Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 5 large egg whites
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2-3 pounds fresh strawberries, stems and hulls removed

For the Frosting

• See separate recipes for frosting (below)

Instructions
For the Cake

1. Grease and flour (3) 8” or 9” round cake pans; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Using a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined; set aside.
3. Using a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~4-5 minutes on medium speed). Add the egg and egg whites; mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl; mix on low speed until well combined.
5. Add the milk, sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract; mix on low speed until well combined.
6. Add the remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed until well combined. (Tip: Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed.)
7. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 cake pans. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Let cakes cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack until completely cool.

For the Frosting

1. Make either the Original Frosting or the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (both recipes below). Note: Some readers have had trouble with the Original version being too loose of a frosting. I have personally never had this happen, but I have included a basic cream cheese frosting recipe here as well. Feel free to make whichever frosting you'd like...both are delicious!

To Assemble the Cake

1. Slice ⅓ of the strawberries into thin slices; set aside. Dice the remaining strawberries into smaller pieces.
2. Place one layer of cake on a large plate. If using the Original Frosting recipe, spread a layer of diced strawberries on top of the cake and then top with frosting. If using the Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, proceed with frosting the top layer of cake. Repeat this step with the second layer of cake and more frosting.
3. Using an offset spatula, frost the sides of the cake. (Note: If using the Original Frosting recipe, it is helpful to refrigerate the frosting for about 20-30 minutes before frosting the sides of the cake.)
4. Slice the remaining strawberries and garnish the top of the cake with the slices.