Summer is almost here. It is so tantalizingly close I can taste it! …or maybe that’s just all the strawberries popping up everywhere.
Yes, that is a snowman on that bowl. I’m just a tad bit early for Christmas in July…
Either way, it is time to start breaking out those summer recipes. You know, the ones that are good for summer BBQ potlucks and 4th of July parties? I came across this recipe for a strawberry summer cake last month and fortunately had the perfect excuse to make it last weekend, a very special someone’s 75th birthday! I love this special someone with all my heart as this person put a significant amount of time and effort into looking after me as I was growing up. I now take great delight in being a chauffeur to this person when I can, continuing to listen to her awesome stories, and going out for coffee on weekend mornings. The photos for this recipe were graciously taken by a boy I happen to be particularly fond of. That is why they look so much better than my usual pictures. Being at my mom’s house with huge windows and a kitchen that is not also a living room, study, and bedroom also helps.
To start out, cream the butter and sugar together.
Shall I tell you a secret? This is one of my favorite parts of baking. I love how fluffy the butter and sugar mixture gets. Care to hear another? I have no idea how I would get by without a mixer of some sort.
Next mix in the egg, milk and vanilla. If you happen to have some extra hands in the kitchen, have one measure out the dry ingredients in a separate, small bowl and a second clean and cut the strawberries.
(Please try not let this remind you too much of a porcelain throne.)
A word of advice, don’t cut your strawberries like this. Just take off the tops and slice them in half, even if they are big strawberries. The thin slices didn’t give me enough strawberry-ness in the end. The snowman bowl, however, is highly recommended.
Gradually add in the dry mixture and mix until just smooth.
Don’t forget to periodically scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure you’re not getting all the dry ingredients in. I love spatulas, by the way. They are magical beings.
Next pour the batter into a greased baking apparatus. I used a regular pie plate. I could have used a bit more space. A deep dish pie plate or a springform cake pan would be great. I was at my mom’s, though, so I settled for a regular pie plate.
I was a very zealous greaser that morning. I used butter and everything! None of that spray-on non-stick stuff. (I am very eager to try Baker’s Joy someday, though, which is supposed to be the equivalent to greasing and flouring in a spray!)
Use the spatula to spread the cake in the pan and then start adding those strawberries on top! You can layer them on as closely packed as you like, but try to keep it to a single layer.
Once all the strawberries you want are layered on, sprinkle around two tablespoons of sugar over the top before you pop it in the oven.
Don’t worry if it looks like this after 50 minutes. Just keep it in there for 10-15 more minutes and that still-moist center will start to behave.
Just before you are ready to serve it, dust the top with some powdered sugar. I had a lot of fun doing this! I just put some powdered sugar in a mesh strainer and tapped the side to make it snow. If you have a flour sifter, that would also work. Serve it up with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or both! Whipped cream alone is the best, though it’s possible I am biased as I am not a huge fan of vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry Summer Cake
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature + extra for greasing baking apparatus
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (if you have the time and energy, I might sift the flour as I thought the cake turned out a little bit on the flour-y side)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved
Savor and look forward to a summer that hopefully has less disappointing weather than last year!
As a side note, the photographer of the above photos has requested that I share with you what we made last night.
It’s like a dream, right? let’s just bring that into a bit more focus…
There we go. Delectable, delicious ice cream sandwiches with cookies (not those silly chocolate wafer things they sell in stores…)! Watch out, Diddy Riese.
Yes, that is a snowman on that bowl. I’m just a tad bit early for Christmas in July…
Either way, it is time to start breaking out those summer recipes. You know, the ones that are good for summer BBQ potlucks and 4th of July parties? I came across this recipe for a strawberry summer cake last month and fortunately had the perfect excuse to make it last weekend, a very special someone’s 75th birthday! I love this special someone with all my heart as this person put a significant amount of time and effort into looking after me as I was growing up. I now take great delight in being a chauffeur to this person when I can, continuing to listen to her awesome stories, and going out for coffee on weekend mornings. The photos for this recipe were graciously taken by a boy I happen to be particularly fond of. That is why they look so much better than my usual pictures. Being at my mom’s house with huge windows and a kitchen that is not also a living room, study, and bedroom also helps.
To start out, cream the butter and sugar together.
Shall I tell you a secret? This is one of my favorite parts of baking. I love how fluffy the butter and sugar mixture gets. Care to hear another? I have no idea how I would get by without a mixer of some sort.
Next mix in the egg, milk and vanilla. If you happen to have some extra hands in the kitchen, have one measure out the dry ingredients in a separate, small bowl and a second clean and cut the strawberries.
(Please try not let this remind you too much of a porcelain throne.)
A word of advice, don’t cut your strawberries like this. Just take off the tops and slice them in half, even if they are big strawberries. The thin slices didn’t give me enough strawberry-ness in the end. The snowman bowl, however, is highly recommended.
Gradually add in the dry mixture and mix until just smooth.
Don’t forget to periodically scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure you’re not getting all the dry ingredients in. I love spatulas, by the way. They are magical beings.
Next pour the batter into a greased baking apparatus. I used a regular pie plate. I could have used a bit more space. A deep dish pie plate or a springform cake pan would be great. I was at my mom’s, though, so I settled for a regular pie plate.
I was a very zealous greaser that morning. I used butter and everything! None of that spray-on non-stick stuff. (I am very eager to try Baker’s Joy someday, though, which is supposed to be the equivalent to greasing and flouring in a spray!)
Use the spatula to spread the cake in the pan and then start adding those strawberries on top! You can layer them on as closely packed as you like, but try to keep it to a single layer.
Once all the strawberries you want are layered on, sprinkle around two tablespoons of sugar over the top before you pop it in the oven.
Don’t worry if it looks like this after 50 minutes. Just keep it in there for 10-15 more minutes and that still-moist center will start to behave.
Just before you are ready to serve it, dust the top with some powdered sugar. I had a lot of fun doing this! I just put some powdered sugar in a mesh strainer and tapped the side to make it snow. If you have a flour sifter, that would also work. Serve it up with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or both! Whipped cream alone is the best, though it’s possible I am biased as I am not a huge fan of vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry Summer Cake
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature + extra for greasing baking apparatus
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (if you have the time and energy, I might sift the flour as I thought the cake turned out a little bit on the flour-y side)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan or a 9-/10- in. springform pan.
- Clean, hull and halve your strawberries. Try not to eat too many.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
- In a larger bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes with an electric mixer).
- Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix until just smooth.
- Pour into prepared baking apparatus. Use spatula to spread the batter into a fairly even layer.
- Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of the batter. Make a good thick layer (confluent, anyone?) without layering them on top of each other too much. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 350 F. Reduce temperature to 325 F and bake roughly 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out free of cake batter (ooey, gooey strawberries are a-ok).
- Let it cool in a pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with yummy goodness, otherwise known as whipped cream and/or ice cream, as your preference or supplies dictate.
Savor and look forward to a summer that hopefully has less disappointing weather than last year!
As a side note, the photographer of the above photos has requested that I share with you what we made last night.
It’s like a dream, right? let’s just bring that into a bit more focus…
There we go. Delectable, delicious ice cream sandwiches with cookies (not those silly chocolate wafer things they sell in stores…)! Watch out, Diddy Riese.
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