French strawberry cream cake

Gracie, my 10 year old granddaughter  and I have been wanting to make a strawberry cake with whipped cream for such a long time, we made it happen this week.  I found what I think is a do-able recipe for a French style cake with strawberries and a cream filling to make at home with basic baking ingredients including fresh strawberries which are still in season.  We baked a butter cake for the base, then we cleaned, trimmed and sliced the strawberries together. We used a springform pan for the cake; the cake was trimmed and put back into the pan with a parchment collar to support the berries and cream topping.  Then we whipped up a cream cheese, sugar and heavy cream mixture that we piped around and into the strawberries that we layered around the sides and into the center of the cake.  We put aside a few sliced strawberries to decorate the top before serving.  The cake has to be refrigerated over night for the cream filling to firm up so it can be sliced cleanly.  We both enjoyed our slice of French strawberry cream cake and would make it again, maybe for a birthday celebration? this recipe is definitely a keeper to use again at a future date.  

recipe for French strawberry cream cake

makes 9" cake, 10-12 slices

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1&1/2 cups (300 grams) fine granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1&1/2 cups (188 grams) cake flour

1/2 cup (69 grams) almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup whole milk

1 pound large fresh strawberries, hulled, set aside several berries to decorate the top of the cake

Whipped Cream Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup fine granulated sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Preheat the oven to 350F

Spray a 9" springform pan with baking spray

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until combined.  Beat in the almond extract.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer speed on low gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, starting and stopping with the flour mixture, beating until just combined.

Spoon the cake batter into the pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes, then cover the cake with foil and bake for about 10 more minutes, until cake tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely.  

Loosen the sides of the pan and carefully remove.  Cut a 4" parchment collar and wrap it around the outside of the cake.  Clean and replace the sides of the springform pan.

Cut enough strawberries in half to line the sides of the pan, placing the cut sides out.

Fill the inside of the cake with the rest of the strawberries, trimming them as needed.

Pipe the whipped cream filling between the sliced strawberries around the sides of the cake and then fill the rest of the inside of the cake.  Smooth the top with the offset spatula and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Decorate the top of the cake with strawberries before serving.

Serve immediately.

Gracie with the French strawberry cream cake