Strawberry Layer Cake

 My final weekday free before I started a new job, I decided to bake a cake. Gotta take advantage of the flexibility while I could, and a cake felt appropriately celebratory. 

 Given that June is strawberry season in the Northeast, I wanted to feature them. Strawberry shortcake is perfection, but I had already made that these season and was looking for a more elaborate project. I ended up piecing together a couple recipes into a layer cake piled with berries.

Jason has less of a sweet-tooth than me, and even he mentioned thinking about it a week later, so I'm writing it up for future strawberry seasons. Could be a possible birthday cake for June birthdays.

 

 

Strawberry layer cake

Cake

Single recipe of King Arthur's Tender White Cake minus the almond extract split between three 7-inch round pans. I baked this the night before and left covered at room temp over night.

Whipped chamomile ricotta cream

Adapted from Half-Baked Harvest 

• Fresh chamomile flowers from the CSA (optional)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
  
• 16 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese
  
• A tbsp or two sugar
  
• Vanilla extract
  

Night before steep the chamomile in the cream.

Strain the cream into a large bowl (the bowl of a stand mixer if using). Discard the chamomile. Add the ricotta. Whip them together using a mixer until the ricotta is smooth and the cream has fluffed, 5 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle in the sugar and a touch of vanilla extract, and whip for another minute.

Assembly

• Cake
• Whipped chamomile ricotta cream
•  Fresh strawberries, washed and halved or quartered depending on size

Layer the cake layers each with about a third of the cream and berries. Serve immediately. Call neighbors and bring them a slice. Can keep in the refrigerator of a few days, but since the berries aren't cooked, best not to push it too long.

Birthday Pie

The story is that mom put the blueberry peach pie in the oven. And then her water broke. Thus, pie is mandated for my birthday.

Recipes used for today's potluck picnic.

Easy Oil Pie Crust
The family classic.

Stir together:

2 cups flour (we usually use up to 1/4 of it [1/2 cup] whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

Combine:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

Mix into flour mixture with a fork. Shape into a ball and divide into two balls. Make one ball slightly larger for the bottom crust. Roll out between two sheets of wax paper.

Blueberry Peach Pie

Mom won a blue ribbon at the Gilbert Peach Festival for this one.

Makes one 9” pie.

Mix together the pie filling:

   1 c. blueberries

   3 c. peaches

   1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice

   3/4 c. sugar

   2 Tbsp. tapioca (or 3 Tbsp. flour)

   1/2 tsp. cinnamon

   1/2 tsp. salt

Make Easy Oil Pie Crust (or other pie crust of choice).

Shape into ball and divide into two balls, making one slightly larger for the bottom crust.  Roll out larger ball between two sheets of waxed paper.

Place rolled out dough into pie crust.  Place filling on top.  Dot with 2 Tbsp. margarine. For top crust, roll second ball between used wax paper. Cut into strips for lattice top, or simply place crust on top of filling.

Making the lattice.

Bake at 400º for 10 minutes; then 30-35 minutes at 350º.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Adapted from Vegalicious

Makes one 9” pie.

Mix together the pie filling:

   2 c. rhubarb

   2 c. strawberry

   1/2 c. sugar

   1/2 c. brown sugar

   2 Tbsp. tapioca (or 3 Tbsp. flour)

   1 tsp. cardamom (I used about 5 green pods worth. Cut them open, grind them up with a mortar and pestle. Or a rock and bowl. Same difference.)

   1 tsp. ground ginger

   1/2 tsp. salt

And the rest is the same. I baked them in the oven at the same time.

But I'll copy/paste here to help us all out later.

Make Easy Oil Pie Crust (or other pie crust of choice).

Shape into ball and divide into two balls, making one slightly larger for the bottom crust.  Roll out larger ball between two sheets of waxed paper.

Place rolled out dough into pie crust.  Place filling on top.  Dot with 2 Tbsp. margarine. For top crust, roll second ball between used wax paper. Cut into strips for lattice top, or simply place crust on top of filling.

Bake at 400º for 10 minutes; then 30-35 minutes at 350º.

Edited to add photos taking on a getaway weekend.