My daughter is 5 today.  St. Patrick’s Day.  The day for the wearin’ o’ the green.  The day of my people.  So, you can imagine my alarm when she said to me yesterday afternoon “Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’d like everything to be pink, and very fancy.”

 

I should have known it was coming after she sketched me a picture of the cake she wanted over the weekend:

“It has to be pink. It has to be tall.  It has to be strawberry” she informed me.

I am a baker, but sadly, I am not a cake decorator.  I am also not a cake assembler.  I hate making two tiered cakes.

I had pinned a while back, in preparation for her big day, a delicious looking strawberries and cream sponge cake, so I decided to give that a whirl.

The directions say to bake it in an angel food pan, but since I had to do a 2 tier, I had to improvise, and did it in two regular round cake pans, lined with parchment paper on the bottom.  I also dyed my whipped cream pale pink.

It had to be pink, of course, but if I had been making this for an adult, or a dinner party or something, I would have left the edges completely naked and just topped it with fresh whipped cream, as well as in between the layers, because I think it would be prettier that way.

But today, it only matters what Miss Daphne thinks is pretty, because it is her day, after all.  I can’t even believe she is five.  Don’t blink.

Anyway, follow the directions very carefully.  If you want a light and fluffy sponge cake, you need to be very precise.  Also, make sure you refrigerate until serving!  Enjoy!

Recipe from This is Why I’m Full

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 oz container of heavy whipping cream (more if you want to decorate)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups sliced strawberries

Directions:
Separate the eggs, and put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl.  Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (this helps them whip up into peaks better.)

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Get out an angel food cake tube pan.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks for about a minute.  While still mixing, gradually add 3/4 cups of granulated sugar, beating well until thick and pale yellow.  Beat in the lemon juice, oil, and water.

Mix together the flour and salt, and add to the egg mixture.

Beat egg whites on medium speed in your mixture until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the remaining 3/4 cups of sugar, one tablespoon at a time,  beating on high, until glossy peaks form.

Fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg and flour mixture.  Then add the entire yolk and flour mixture to the remaining egg whites mixture, by folding in very, very gently until combined.

Gently spoon the mixture into your ungreased angel food pan.  Smooth the top.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched.  The cake will be nicely browned on the top.  Immediately invert the pan, and cool completely.4\

Slice up your strawberries.  Put your whipped cream into a large bowl and whip until it begins to thicken.  Add the confectioners sugar and beat some more until soft peaks form.

Using a serrated knife, slice your cake into 3 equal layers.  Spread whipped cream on the inside of each layer, (on the top and bottom, this is kind of the “glue” that will hold your strawberries in place), and place the sliced strawberries on one side. Repeat with the second layer. Top with whipped cream and remaining strawberries.  Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!