and now - the Strawberry Cake :-)

    As I told you in the posting titled, "Plan B - Cakes", I ended up making cakes for my side of the families Christmas gathering. And we did them up fancy like.

   Here is a picture of all of them on display in my sister's dining room.

   Last week we zoomed in on The Carrot Cake.

   This week, we are zooming in on the Strawberry Cake.

   (Sorry, I didn't do a very good job of keeping the zoom clear, did I?)

    I originally came across this recipe in the May 2000 issue of the 'Country Home' magazine. I do not know what page the cake was pictured on, only that it looked scrumptious! Add to that the fact that both Benson and I like most things strawberry, thus I followed the lead to pages 201 and 202 where the recipe was recorded.

   Strawberry Jam Cake:
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Shortening (I used Crisco)
2 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1/4 Cup Strawberry Syrup (I used the Ice Cream Topping Variety)
1/4 Teaspoon Red Food Coloring
6 Egg Whites (I saved the yolks for french toast ;-) )
1 3/4 Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk  (I used Buttermilk -  then used the rest of it for the french toast)
    (to make sour milk - you add 1 to 2 Tablespoons White Vinegar to Regular Milk and let it sit till curdled)
3/4 Cups Finely Chopped Fresh Strawberries (optional) (at least according to them)
1 Cup Strawberry Jam
Fluffy Pink Frosting * (recipe below)
Sliced fresh strawberries (optional) **

  [ This is suppose to make a three tiered cake. Seeings how my oven chose to burn the bottom of one of the layers (insert rolling eyes here), I made mine as a two tiered!]

   I am going to write out the directions the way that I do them, not the step by step minute detailed directions the magazine had published. Hope that's okay ....

    In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening till it's creamy (I use a large wooden spoon). Add sugar and vanilla, and blend thourally. Add strawberry syrup and food coloring, completely combining with the rest. Add egg whites, two at a time, beating well after each set is added. Dump on half of the flour. Top that with the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Mix till completely blended in. Add half of the buttermilk or sour milk (which ever you chose). Once that is completely blended in, add the rest of the flour. Once that is mixed in, add the rest of your milk product. Fold in your finely chopped fresh strawberries (they say these are optional, but I HIGHLY recommend them!).
    Pour batter into three 9-inch pre-sprayed round cake pans.

   Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven
       for 20 to 25 minutes.

   Test for doneness with a toothpick.

      Let round cake pans cool for five (to 10) minutes on wire racks, then remove cakes from pans and finish cooling on wire racks.

    To Assemble:
   Place one cake layer on a serving platter.
    (inserted tip here --> line a regular plate with a doubled piece of parchment paper, place the cake on it and assemble and frost. When serving time comes, with the help of one other pair of hands and a cake server, gently transfer the cake to a serving platter or pedestal cake plate, pulling out the parchment paper in the process of doing so. ;-) )
    Spread with 1/2 Cup of the Jam, spreading to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Repeat layering. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost with Fluffy Pink Frosting.*
   Cover and store cake in the fridge for up to three (3) days. Let stand at room temp for 30 minutes before serving.

   *Fluffy Pink Frosting:*
    * = this time I did not make the Fluffy Pink Frosting. Why not? Read through the directions and you will understand why this 'Ms. Vertigo' thought it might not be a wise thing for her to undertake... chuckle, chuckle .....  But I have made it before, and it is good. So I am including it here for you. I will also include what I did make and use ;-)
    1 1/2 Cups Sugar
    1/3 Cup Cold Water
    2 Egg Whites
    1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tarter
    1 Teaspoon Vanilla
    4 to 5 drops Red Food Coloring
   
    In the top of a double boiler, combine the sugar, cold water, egg whites, and cream of tarter. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Place over boiling water (upper pan should not touch water). Cook, beating constantly with the electric mixer on high speed, 7 to 10 minutes or until frosting forms stiff peaks. Remove from heat; and the vanilla and red food coloring to tint pink. Beat 2 to 3 minutes more or until it reaches spreading consistency. Makes 4 1/2 cups.

    The frosting I did use:
  Vanilla "Philly" Frosting:           
   My credit line reads "Miracle Whip". I must have gotten this recipe out of some Miracle Whip sponsored ad in a magazine or newspaper at some point in time ....
1 - 3 oz (excuse me, 8 ounces makes it oh so much better o;-) ) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
3 Cups Sifted Powdered Sugar

Combine cream cheese, milk and vanilla, mixing well. Gradually add sugar, beating till light and fluffy.

I also added 2 or 3 Tablespoons of the Strawberry syrup
and a whole slew of red food coloring, attempting to make it change from brilliant pink to red in coloring. In retrospect, I think the strawberry syrup was the un-doing color wise. Next time, I should use strawberry flavoring and red food coloring. Live and learn.

     **They recommend topping the cake with sliced fresh strawberries, which I have previously done, and it looks nice! But this time, I took it one step further, and topped it with chocolate covered strawberries. They were a HIT!!!!! ;-) !!!  You are welcome to copy me. (yes, smaller sized ones around the edge of the cake would have looked neat, but it was late Dec. in MI. Brian picked through the seven containers of strawberries left at Sam's Club when he got there, and brought home the only non-moldy one. Didn't they turn out magnificent?!?!!!! No, I am not being sarcastic! There was no denying their presence on top of the cake. ;->)

:-)  -  :-)  -  :-)  -  :-)  -  :-)  -  :-)  
you might also enjoy this posting -
Garden Fresh Bruschetta [you can use Roma Tomatoes fresh from the produce section ;-)]

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I 'plan' on linking this particular posting up to:
~ "Making Your Home Sing Monday('s)", are hosted by Nan, at 'Mom's the Word (I love to hear)' (http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/).
~ "Homemaker Mondays ... Yours, Mine & Ours", are hosted by Jen, at '11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven' (http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com/).
~ "Market Yourself Monday", are hosted by Sumo, at 'Sumo's Sweet Stuff' (http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/)
~ "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday('s)", are hosted by Lisa, at 'Blessed with Grace' (http://blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com).
~ "Tuesdays at the Table", are hosted by Cole, at 'All The Small Stuff' (http://allthesmallstuff-cole.blogspot.com/).
~ "Kitchen Tip Tuesday('s)", are hosted by Tammy, at 'Tammy's Recipes' (http://www.tammysrecipes.com/).
~ "Tasty Tuesday('s)", are hosted by Jennifer, at "Balancing Beauty and Bedlam" (http://www.beautyandbedlam.com/)
~ "Topsy Turvy Tuesday's", are hosted by Ashlee, at 'I'm Topsy Turvy' (http://imtopsyturvy.com/)
~ "Whatever Goes Wednesday('s), hosted by Michelle, at 'Someday Crafts'
(http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/)
~ "Full Plate Thursday('s), hosted by Miz Helen, at 'Miz Helen's Country Cottage' (http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/)
~ "(Foodie Friday's)", are hosted by "Gollum" (aka: Michael), at 'Designs by Gollum' (http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/)