Strawberry Country Cake

Submitted by Gay Gilmore

"This is easy and it looks rustic and lovely. A terrific summer dessert. From Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa's Parties"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 15
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 3⁄4 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 teaspoon grated lemon, zest of
• 1⁄2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• FILLING (for each cake):

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter and flour 2 8-inch cake pans.
3. Cream the butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy.
4. On medium speed add the eggs one at a time, then sour cream, zests and vanilla.
5. Mix well.
6. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients.
7. Add the dry mixture to the mix slowly on low speed.
8. Mix until smooth.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cool completely.
11. Reserve one cake for later.
12. To make the filling for one cake, whip the cream until firm.
13. Add the sugar and vanilla.
14. Slice the cake in half to make two rounds.
15. Place the bottom half on the platter and spread half of the whipped cream on top and cover with most of the strawberries.
16. Place the second half on top, and repeat with the cream and decorate with the rest of the strawberries.

Reviews

[MizzNezz]

This was easy to make and it made a very nice presentation. It's almost like a strawberry shortcake, a little sweeter. A friend was getting married and asked us to bring a pot-luch dish for the party afterwards. I went ahead and made both cakes and they were the first thing gone from the table. I managed to get a very small piece! Guess I'll have to make another one for home!!

 

[Charishma_Ramchandani]

I made a few substitutions and made this cake for a boy's FIRST birthday party today. I used margarine as a substitute for the unsalted butter and low-fat plain yoghurt as a substitute for the sour cream. I substituted the lemon zest with pineapple essence(personal preference of the family for whom I was baking this cake) and orange essence instead of orange zest. This cake came out grand and tasted wonderful! Everyone was very impressed with the beautiful red strawberries laid out on the whipped cream. Since they wanted the cream to set, they froze this cake overnight and cut it the next day. They said a hearty THANK YOU for the cake:) Thanks from all of us!

 

[Breton girl]

I made this for my son's 27th birthday. In our family, the guest of honor gets to pick the birthday dessert. Matthew requested strawberry shortcake so I was looking for something that would still look like a birthday cake. This was delicious - everyone loved it. I used whipped cream and fresh berries - very simple to put together and it looked wonderful. I think this one will show up at more than one party this year. Excellent recipe for a group - moist, homey, and lovely taste. Love, love, love it!

 

[Karmatose]

I found this recipe when searching for a way to use up a can of strawberry pie filling. This cake is easy to make and delightfully moist. I don't know why mine came out really puffy (probably has something to do with the pan I used), but it tastes great regardless. I can't wait until strawberries are in season so I can make this again with real fruit for the filling!

 

[ngdarlen]

I had to cook my cake in a springform pan, which I thought wasn't a bad idea, but I think it got a little overcooked.My fault there. Other than that I did not stray from the recipe.The whole thing put together makes a beautiful presentation, and the taste is wonderful, but I could not get past the density and texture of the cake.May have been from the way I cooked it, or because that is what rustic means, heavy.I am giving it 5 stars because I feel like the texture was from my method of cooking, and otherwise would have been a moist cake. The ease of preparation and the outcome deserves the 5 also, and I will definately try this again because it is something I would like to serve to guests.