Love at First Sight
I said I’d be happy if I got one strawberry. The strawberries wanted more for me.
So much fun strawberry symbolism, but “love at first sight” takes the cake for me. And speaking of cake — in celebration of my little home grown babies, here’s the recipe to an all time favorite. It’s Sprinkles’ Strawberry Cupcakes, tweaked to my satisfaction — a little more sugar, a lot more strawberries, and as always salted butter.
Strawberry Cake
6 cups whole strawberries
3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking power
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup salted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 large egg whites, room temperature
Puree strawberries in a small food processor (or whatever you’ve got going on over there that will get the job done) — this should make about 2 cups of puree.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and coarse salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree. Set aside.
Cream butter on medium-high speed (in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment if you’ve got one) until light and fluffy. Gradually add (let’s be honest, a generous 2 cups) sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add eggs and egg whites until just blended.
With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
Divide batter evenly among three 9” cake pans. Bake 30ish minutes — stick a toothpick in the center, when it comes out dry with a few cake bits stuck to it, that’s when you want to take them out. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely in pans before frosting.
For frosting — double this recipe + then triple the amount of strawberry puree it calls for.
In the words of Johnny Cash, “I deserve that strawberry cake.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Your tone right now? That’s the first step. Stop whining. Are you going to be a doomed prophetess, or are you going to find a different voice and save your city?”
And if you’re someone who appreciates context:
