Faerie Cake With Lavender Whipped Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the Oven:
• Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (350°F if using a dark pan).
• Mix the Dry Ingredients:
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift them together to make the mixture easier to incorporate.
• Mix the Liquid Ingredients:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk beater, whip the cream, starting on low speed, gradually raising the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla just until lightly combined.
• On medium-high speed, gradually beat the egg mixture into the whipped cream. The mixture will thicken into mayonnaise consistency (unless high-butterfat cream is used). Gradually beat in the sugar. It should take about 30 seconds to incorporate it.
• Make the Batter:
• Detach the bowl and whisk beater from the stand. Add half the flour mixture to the cream mixture and, with the whisk attachment stir and fold in the flour until most of it disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour have disappeared. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Run a small metal spatula or dull knife blade through the batter to prevent large air bubbles, avoiding the bottom of the pan. Smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.
• Bake the Cake:
• Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the tube and the side comes out completely clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.
• Cool and Unmold the Cake:
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small metal spatula, loosen the top edges of the cake and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely. The cake requires no adornment, but I love to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a large dollop of lightly sweetened Whipped Cream.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch pans. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, whip the cream with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the vanilla. Fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
• Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until lightened. Whisk in the cornstarch. In a saucepan, warm the milk, then slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very thick, about 5 minutes. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Make the sponge cake. Sift the flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and one-third of the sugar until lightened. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites into stiff peaks, adding the remaining sugar a little at a time halfway through the beating time. Fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in the flour. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Carefully peel the parchment paper from the cake.
• Using the cake ring, cut out two circles from the cake.
• Add the butter to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light and creamy.
• Add the pastry cream and beat until well incorporated. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• Place the cake ring on a serving plate and place one cake circle on the bottom.
• If necessary, briefly rinse the strawberries and pat them dry on paper towels.
• Set aside one dozen of the most attractive strawberries for the top decoration. Hull and cut similarly sized strawberries in half and place them next to each other around the perimeter of the ring with the cut side touching the ring.
• Cover the strawberries with a little of the pastry cream to seal them against the ring.
• Hull the remaining ones and place in the center of the cake.
• Cover the layer of strawberries with some of the pastry cream.
• Place the second cake disk on top.
• Evenly spread a thin layer of the pastry cream on top.
• Hull the remaining whole strawberries then set them on top of the cake, pointed ends up.
• Scrape the remaining pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-in plain pastry tube and pipe pointed mounds of cream on top of the cake between the strawberries.
• Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, carefully remove the ring.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan combine whipping cream and dried lavender. Bring to just a simmer.
• Remove from heat.
• Strain mixture and discard lavender.
• Cover and chill whipped cream mixture at least 2 hours or until completely chilled.
• In a chilled metal mixing bowl beat whipping cream and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed, beating just until soft peaks form. Use at once or cover and chill up to 2 hours.
• Makes 16 (2 tablespoon) servings.