Description
Ina Garten’s strawberry country cake combines fresh strawberries and rich cream in a classic dessert from the Barefoot Contessa. Delicate layers promise sweet summer memories for home bakers seeking elegant simplicity.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml), chilled
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (170 g) sour cream, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream, chilled
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsps sugar
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preparation: Warm oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans meticulously to ensure smooth cake release.
- Batter Creation: Whip butter and sugar until ethereally light. Introduce eggs individually, blending thoroughly. Fold in sour cream, citrus zests, and vanilla, maintaining a silky, homogeneous mixture by scraping bowl edges periodically.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda together, eliminating potential lumps. Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture using low-speed mixing, stopping precisely when combined to preserve cake’s delicate texture.
- Baking Process: Distribute batter evenly across prepared pans, smoothing surfaces with a spatula. Bake 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted centrally emerges pristine and clean.
- Cooling Technique: Rest cakes in pans for 30 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Allow complete cooling to maintain structural integrity and prevent moisture accumulation.
- Cream Preparation: Whip chilled heavy cream until peaks stand firm. Delicately incorporate powdered sugar and vanilla, creating a luxurious, cloud-like topping.
- Assembly and Decoration: Slice one cake horizontally. Position bottom layer on serving platter. Spread half the whipped cream and arrange strawberry slices strategically. Crown with second cake layer, lavishly covering with remaining cream and fresh strawberries. Briefly refrigerate to set cream and enhance flavor melding.
Notes
- Butter and Sugar Technique: Cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes to create a light, fluffy base that ensures a tender cake texture.
- Egg Incorporation Method: Add eggs one at a time, fully blending each before adding the next to create a smooth, homogeneous batter.
- Avoid Overmixing: Mix dry ingredients into wet mixture at low speed, stopping just when combined to prevent a dense, tough cake.
- Cooling Strategy: Allow cakes to cool in pans for 30 minutes before transferring to wire racks, preventing moisture buildup and maintaining cake structure.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 48 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg