Oaxacan Wedding Cake

Recipe courtesy Chuck Hughes

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• Vanilla Cake Batter

• 3⁄4  cup/ 180 ml unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 2  cups/ 500 ml unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons/ 10 ml baking powder
• 1⁄4  teaspoon/ 1 ml salt
• 1 1⁄4  cups/ 310 ml granulated sugar
• 3  eggs
• 3⁄4  cup/ 180 ml milk
• 1  teaspoon/ 5 ml vanilla extract

• Coffee Chantilly

• 3  cups/ 750 ml 35-percent  whipping cream
• 1⁄2  cup/ 125 ml powdered sugar
• 2  tablespoons/ 30 ml strong brewed espresso coffee
• 1  teaspoon/ 5 ml vanilla extract

• Strawberries

• 2  cups/ 500 ml strawberries, sliced, plus whole, for garnish
• 1⁄4  cup/ 60 ml granulated sugar
• 1  vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1  cup/ 250 ml toasted walnuts, chopped, plus whole, for garnish

Directions

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Butter and line an 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
2. For the batter:
3. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. For the coffee chantilly:
7. In a large bowl, whisk the cream with the powdered sugar, coffee and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Set aside.
8. For the strawberries:
9. Toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar and vanilla seeds.
10. To assemble the cake, spread half of the coffee chantilly in the center of one slice of cake. Garnish with half of the sliced strawberries and half of the chopped walnuts. Layer with a second slice of cake and repeat with the remaining chantilly. Garnish with whole fresh strawberries and walnuts.