Just in time for fall! Enjoy this scrumptious bite of strawberries and cream with a hint of cardamom and ginger infused syrup. This cake could be the highlight of your next dessert table. It’s divine. This recipe is perfect for summer/fall; simple to follow with no additional techniques involved and at the end you have a pretty looking dessert.
I made this spiced strawberry shortcake for my beautiful niece on her farewell as she heads to college. I took a break from fondant cake and made this simple yet delectable delight for her, she and her friends LOVED it. It was wonderful to see girls enjoying my treat.
I'm using cream cheese with whipping cream. The cream cheese stabilizes and thickens the whipped cream. Half of the strawberries are spray painted with Wilton edible gold spray ( you can find it in Michaels or any cake supply store) another half is sliced for maximum visual impact. The infused syrup added to strawberries later. Three layers must be baked in three 8 inch cake pans separately and then alternately layered to make a tall, impressive dessert.
A fancy looking dessert created quickly in a formal way with added gold sprayed strawberries and fondant flower on top- But quite a big show to talk about; the white whipped buttercream with cardamom came down quite eloquently to welcome the fall.
Strawberry Cream Cake with Cardamom Ginger Syrup
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Baking and Assembly: 1 hr. 30 min
Method: Baking
Cake: 1¼ cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 1-cup sugar (3 tbsp. extra) 5 large eggs separated, room temperature 1/2-cup butter melted 2 tbsp heavy cream 2 tsp vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling: 1-pound fresh strawberries washed, dried, and stemmed 6 tbsp sugar Pinch of salt
Cardamom and Ginger Simple Syrup:
1-cup water
½ cup sugar
½ inch piece ginger
8 pods of cardamom
Whipped Buttercream: 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 3/4-cup confectioners sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract ⅛ tsp salt 2 cups heavy cream
Cake:
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 3 round 8 by 2-inch cake pans. Line them with parchment rounds.
Separate yolks reserving whites. Set aside. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Combine egg yolks, butter, cream, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.
In a clean bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the machine running, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form about 1 min. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten; add the remaining whites and gently fold into the batter until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool in the pan 10 minutes then invert the cake onto a greased wire rack; peel off and discard the parchment. Invert the cake again; cool completely.
Cardamom and Ginger Simple Syrup:
Combine all ingredients in the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes on medium heat. Turn off the heat. Let cool completely.
Strawberry Filling:
Choose the best-looking strawberries for the top and spray paint them with an edible gold spray.
Thinly slice the remaining berries; toss with sugar in a medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Pour the reduced syrup over the macerated berries, add a pinch of salt, and toss to combine. Set aside.
Whipped Buttercream:
Whip the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to low and add heavy cream in a slow, steady stream; when it’s almost fully combined, and beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
To Assemble: Place the bottom layer on a cake board or a cake pedestal. Arrange a ring of sliced strawberries, cut sides down and ends facing out, around the perimeter of the cake layer. Pour one-half of the cardamom simple syrup in the center, and then spread to cover any exposed cake. Gently spread about one-third of the whipped buttercream over the berry layer, leaving a ½-inch border from the edge. Place the middle cake layer on top and press down gently. Repeat with additional sliced strawberries, remaining sugar syrup, and half of the remaining whipped cream; gently press the last cake layer on top. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top; decorate with the reserved gold strawberries.
Other Options: 1. Use different fruits or berries. I love peaches and mangoes. 2. Use nuts for a crunch.
3. Always macerate the fruits and berries. 4. Add some lemon or orange zest when macerating the fruits and berries. 5. Layer fruit/berry and cream with cookies/shortbread cookies or cake.