Recipe by Janna Bishop and Shira McDermott from Flourist Bakery.

This fun and festive cake is best made with strawberries bursting with flavour at the peak of the season.

Ingredients

Cake

4 eggs, room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup sifted red spring wheat flour

½ cup whole grain red fife flour

45 g butter, melted

Lemon Syrup

2 lemons, preferably organic and well washed

¼ cup sugar

Assembly

500 ml heavy cream

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 to 2 pints fresh strawberries

Freeze-dried strawberries (optional)

Make It

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 6-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs and sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). The eggs should look white and shiny. Reduce to medium speed and whisk for 3 minutes, then reduce again to the lowest speed and whisk for 5 more minutes or until no bubbles are visible. (The eggs should be at the “ribbon” stage: when you lift up the beater, they should fall back into the bowl in thick ribbons.) Gently scrape beaten eggs into a large metal mixing bowl and set aside.

Sift flours together several times until light and airy. Place butter in a small pot and set over low heat. When halfway melted, remove from heat and swirl to melt the remaining butter. Sift mixed flour overtop of the eggs and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold it in, trying not to deflate the eggs. Transfer a few tablespoons of the mixture into the melted butter and stir together with a spoon, then fold the butter back into the remaining egg/flour mixture.

Divide batter between the two prepared cake pans and drop the pans against the table to pop out any air bubbles. Slide pans into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is just starting to turn golden brown and a tester comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and drop again on a heat-resistant surface (this prevents the middle from sinking in). Cool cakes on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then flip upside down to remove from pans. Allow to cool completely on cooling racks.

To make the lemon syrup, use a vegetable peeler to strip off wide strips of lemon peel from both lemons. Try to get only the yellow part, as the white pith will make the syrup bitter. Juice both lemons into a small pot and add sugar, then heat together on medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, turn down heat and simmer until slightly thickened (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add lemon peel and turn off heat, then set aside to cool. Once cool, remove the peel. This recipe yields more syrup than needed; the extra can be stored in the fridge and used to sweeten beverages, drizzle over pancakes or make lemonade.

To whip cream, first place mixing bowl and beaters in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream and confectioner’s sugar and whip on high until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Slice about half the pint of strawberries into thin rounds and place on a cloth or paper towel to absorb excess liquid. Roughly chop remaining strawberries and place in a bowl. 

To assemble, remove the parchment paper from the cakes. Lay the first cake on a serving plate and brush abundantly with lemon syrup. (The syrup adds flavour and also will keep the cakes moist.) With an offset spatula, spread a layer of whipped cream overtop and add the chopped strawberries. Cover strawberries with whipped cream and smooth out with your offset spatula. Place second cake on top and brush
with lemon syrup, then cover entire cake with whipped cream. Place strawberry slices all over and, if desired, crumble freeze-dried strawberries on the top and sides. 

Allow cake to rest and soak up all the flavours for at least 4 hours or overnight.

READ MORE: 5 Amazing Summer Baking Recipes from Vancouver’s Flourist