Strawberry Style Matrimonial Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Stir oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder together in a bowl; cut in butter using a pastry blender until mixture is mealy and butter pieces are uniformly small.
• Press half of oat mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Cook dates with water in a small saucepan over medium heat until they fall apart and are easily mashed with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes; remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
• Spoon date mixture evenly over oat mixture in baking pan; sprinkle remaining oat mixture evenly over top and press into place.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is golden at the edges, about 30 minutes; remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Steps:

• Fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water and set over medium heat until the water steams.
• Meanwhile, coarsely chop about a quarter of the strawberries and combine in a medium heatproof bowl with the sugar. Cover the bowl tightly and set it over the saucepan. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep the water just below a simmer and allow the berries to sit, swirling the bowl once or twice to dissolve any stubborn sugar clumps, until they've released all their juices, are mushy, and swim in a translucent red liquid, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat, uncover and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup.) The mushy berries will have given off their color and flavor, and even though you won't use them in the cake, they're still tasty. Reserve the berries for spooning over pancakes or yogurt.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, crème fraîche and salt. Whisk the mixture vigorously by hand, or beat with a hand mixer on medium-high, until thick, light and holding a medium peak. Chill the bowl of whipped cream. Thinly slice the remaining raw strawberries lengthwise.
• Invert the sponge cake on a flat serving plate or cake stand. Holding a long serrated knife horizontally and parallel to the work surface, use it to lightly score all around the side of the cake at the midway point. Then, using long, even strokes and still holding the knife parallel to the surface, slice clean through the cake, using the score marks as a guide, to cut it into two even layers. Set the top layer aside.
• Use a pastry brush to dab several tablespoons of the strawberry syrup across the bottom layer, lightly soaking the entire surface. Pull the bowl of cream from the refrigerator and dollop about half of it across the soaked layer, then spread in an even layer all the way to the edges. Arrange half of the sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the first, cut side up. Lightly soak the top layer of cake with the strawberry syrup, reserving any remaining syrup for serving. Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake, then pile the remaining sliced strawberries over top. (If not serving immediately, cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.)
• Slice the cake with a serrated knife and serve. Drizzle the slices with any remaining strawberry syrup. The cake is best served the day it's made, but will keep, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• Date filling: Place water and dates in saucepan. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the filling is thickened and smooth. If the cooking mixture is too thick, add a little water.
• Stir in the lemon juice. Set aside.
• cake:.
• Mix flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda.
• Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Press half of the crumbs into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
• Top with Date filling mixture. Spread evenly with a spatula.
• Top with remaining half of crumbs.
• Bake 350 35 minutes til lightly browned.
• Cut into 42 bars.

Steps:

• Filling: In saucepan, cook dates, sugar, lemon juice and water over medium heat, stirring often, until the dates are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Let cool.
• In a bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, sugar, baking soda and salt; blend in butter until mixture is crumbly.
• Pat half onto bottom of 9 inch square pan.
• Spread filling evenly over the top.
• Sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture, patting lightly.
• Bake in a 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Let cool; cut into squares.