w/ seasonal fresh strawberries, bakes up with a custardy middle and crackly, sugary top.
FRENCH STRAWBERRY CAKE
ING stick unsalted butter softened 1 1/4 cup sugar divided 2 lge eggs tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour 1 1/4 tsp b/powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup sour cream 16 oz fresh strawberries sliced
METHOD W/ stand mixer, whip butter, cup sugar pale and fluffy, 5-7 min. Add eggs singly, beating in each well. Beat in vanilla.
SEPARATELY whisk flour, b/powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, begin-end with flour mixture,
beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in washed/dried strawberries. Spread batter in greased 9" cake pan.
Sprinkle top evenly w/ 1/4 cup sugar. Bake 350 deg in greased 9" cake pan (pick test), 35-40 min. Cool completely in pan.
SERVE and slice and serve the cake from the pan. add dollop of whipped cream, and whole berry garnish
Recipe Notes: Best w/ 9-inch, light silver metal cake pan and fresh, not frozen, strawberries.
Cake is "custard-like" in center, not "crumby" like traditional cake. Some baked it longer than 35-40 min.
Shininess of cake pans, size of strawberries, individual ovens, all factor into baking time.