Strawberry Layer Cake
STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE (Makes one 7-inch, 3-layer cake)
Ingredients SPONGE CAKE 3 room-temp. eggs 100g sugar 90g all-purpose flour 20g butter, melted SYRUP 50ml water 40g sugar FOR ASSEMBLING 500ml heavy cream 1 3/4 tsp. gelatin (optional) 1 3/4 tbsp. water (optional) 50g sugar 15 strawberries
Instructions
FOR THE SPONGE CAKE
1. Butter and line a 7-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper.
2. Pour hot water into a big basin. Place a smaller bowl on top of it. Fill the smaller bowl with the four and a half eggs.
3. Beat the eggs with a whisk until pale and foamy. Preheat your oven at this point to 180 degrees Celsius.
4. Add the sugar little by little, dividing it into three additions. Beat at high-speed (with a hand-mixer) for 1 minute after each addition. After adding all the sugar, continue beating at low speed for about 2 more minutes. When you lift the mixture with your beater, a trail should be left behind, kind of like honey.
5. Sift in the flour and fold it in quickly with a spatula. Put in the melted butter and stir quickly until combined.
7. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Put it in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Let it cool completely.
FOR THE SYRUP
1. Put the sugar and water into a small pot and heat it on the stove. When it boils all over, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
FOR THE DECORATION & ASSEMBLING
1. Slice the strawberries into little pieces.
2. Slice your cooled sponge cake (with a bread knife) into 3 slices. Be very careful to slice evenly.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
1. Pour the heavy cream and sugar into an ice-cold bowl (I put it in the freezer for a few minutes) and whip it with a hand-mixer until soft peaks form.
2. To create stabilized whipped cream, let the gelatine sponge with water then melt it on the stove. Pour the gelatine in thin streams into the whipped cream, beating until stiff peaks form.
ASSEMBLING
1. Place 1 slice of cake on your serving plate. Brush some syrup on the surface of that cake slice. Spread some whipped cream (with an off-set spatula) on top of the syruped surface. Put some strawberry bits on top of the whipped cream.
2. Put the second layer of cake on top and repeat number 1.
3. Put the last layer of cake on top, and brush syrup on the surface of it. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Smooth it all out with the off-set spatula.
4. Now for the last step, you can get a few more strawberries and decorate. You can also decorate by piping decorations with the whipped cream.
Note: Stabilized whipped cream is is made firm with gelatine so that it does not melt.
Recipe adapted from a Korean cookbook named 진짜 기본 베이킹 책 by super recipes. http://www.super-recipe.co.kr/etc_06/etc_s4_01.php?inc=view&idx=130&tbname=notice