Fresh Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 1/4 cups milk, anything but skim
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
• 8 oz cream cheese, left at room temperature until partially softened, about 20 – 30 minutes
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 lbs strawberries, hulled and sliced into pieces slightly under 1/2-inch
• Sliced strawberries for decorating, optional

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 round 9-inch cake pans, place parchment rounds on the bottoms, butter the parchment, then add a light coating of flour and tap out anything loose. Put the pans aside.
2. For the cake, sift the cake flour into a medium bowl. Whisk in the baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, then set the bowl aside.
3. In an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture looks light and fluffy. If your paddle does not scrape the bowl as it runs, pause now and then through the mixing process to scrape the sides and bottom so everything blends evenly.
4. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, adding the vanilla with the last egg yolk. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, alternating in that pattern and mixing on low just until each addition disappears into the batter. Scrape the bowl well, then fold the batter gently a few times.
5. Portion the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes rest in the pans for about 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges to release them, then turn them out onto wire racks and cool completely. After about 25 minutes of cooling, you can move the layers into gallon size resealable bags so they finish cooling without drying out.
7. When the cake layers are cool, cover them with Strawberry Cream Cheese Whipped Cream. Store the finished cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
8. For the topping, add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom for even mixing.
9. Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and continue whipping until the cream reaches stiff peaks. It should look firm rather than glossy or wet, or the topping will be too loose. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl.
10. Put the cream cheese in the stand mixer bowl, switch to the paddle attachment, and beat until smooth and fluffy.
11. Mix in the remaining 2/3 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. If using a few drops of liquid red food coloring for a pinker topping, blend it in here.
12. Add the strawberries and mix until the color looks even throughout. Take the bowl off the mixer, add the whipped cream, and fold it in. Spread the topping over the cooled cake.