contributed by Jenn from Epicurious.com
This cake is pretty much a fancy version of strawberry shortcake with a middle eastern twist. It is pretty easy to make and REALLY yummy. I added a bit of sugar to the whipping cream - maybe 1/8-1/4 cup.
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contributed by Jenn from Epicurious.com
This cake is pretty much a fancy version of strawberry shortcake with a middle eastern twist. It is pretty easy to make and REALLY yummy. I added a bit of sugar to the whipping cream - maybe 1/8-1/4 cup.
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Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 C Whole Almonds with skins (1/4 lb) , toasted and cooled
- 1 1/4 C Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 Large Eggs , at room temperature
- 1 1/4 C Superfine Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 C Butter , melted and cooled (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1/3 C Whole Milk
- 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
- 1/2 C Sliced Almonds (2 oz)
Strawberries and Cream
- 2 C Water
- 1 1/3 C Sugar
- 6 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 lb Strawberries , trimmed and quartered length-wise
- 1/2 tsp Rose Water or 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (to taste)
- 1/2 C Chilled Heavy Cream
Servings:
Instructions
- Make cake first
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Butter and flour 9" square cake pan, knocking out excess flour
- With blender motor at high speed, add half of toasted almonds through top hole and finely grind (be careful not to grind to a paste).
- Transfer to a bowl and grind remaining almonds in same manner, transferring to bowl.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to ground almonds and whisk until combined well.
- Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until foamy, about 15 seconds, then add superfine sugar a little at a time, beating.
- Continue beating until mixture is thick, pale, and forms a ribbon when beater is lifted, 7 to 8 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 to 14 minutes with a handheld.
- Add butter in a slow stream, beating, then add milk and almond extract and beat until just combined.
- Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Spread batter in pan, smoothing top, then sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds.
- Bake until top is golden, cake begins to pull away from side of pan, and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then run a knife around edge to loosen and invert onto rack.
- Turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes more.
- Make Strawberries in Syrup
- Bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer syrup to a bowl and cool completely. Stir in strawberries and rose water and macerate at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Whip Cream and Assemble
- Beat cream in a large bowl with cleaned beaters until it holds soft peaks.
- Cut cake into 4 squares and reserve 2 squares for another use.
- Carefully cut each of remaining 2 squares diagonally into quarters for a total of 8 triangles, then halve each triangle horizontally.
- Sandwich triangle halves with strawberries, syrup, and whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
• Cake (not cut) improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead (up to 3) and kept, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
• Strawberries can be macerated in syrup up to 2 hours.
- Rose water can be found at Middle Eastern grocery stores and Whole Foods
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