Annamarie’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Cake | Peggy Lampman's dinnerFeed

Recipe: Cake Layers

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus additional butter for greasing pans
Parchment paper for lining pans
1 cup white sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
Powdered sugar for dusting cake
1 sprig fresh mint, optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch sides. Line bottoms with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat butter until light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time followed by vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into a bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Gently mix in the milk.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake cakes until firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.
Split each cake into 2 layers, using a serrated knife. This works best if the cakes are cold or even slightly frozen. If you are making the 12-inch diameter cake (instructions below), it's a lot easier if the cakes are very cold. (Cake may be made then frozen up to two weeks in advance.)

Time (for cake only): 45-50 minutes

Number of servings (yield): Enough for 1 (9 inch) cake

Recipe: Whipped Cream

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar, plus more if desired
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred

Instructions

Whip cream, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg until stiff peaks form, adding additional sugar for sweeter whipped cream, if desired.

Time: 5-8 minutes

Number of servings (yield): Enough for one cake

Recipe: Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients

4 cups, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces, rhubarb (1 generous pound)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 quart of fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, plus extra sliced berries for garnish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, freshly ground preferred

Instructions

Combine rhubarb, sugar and water in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb is tender, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat; mix in berries, vanilla and nutmeg. Chill until cold and stir before using in recipe. (May be made one day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Time: 25 minutes

Number of servings (yield): Enough to fill one cake

Recipe: Assembly

Ingredients

cake layers*
whipped cream
rhubarb compote

Instructions

Place one cake layer, cut side up, on a platter. Spread with 1/3 of the compote, then 1 cup whipped cream.
Repeat layering with 2 more cake layers, compote and cream. Top with last cake layer, cut side down. (May be prepared 6 hours ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
Dust with powdered sugar. Arrange berries and mint sprig, if using, atop cake.

*Make the cake as described above, but put all of the batter in one 12-inch spring form pan. You will need to repeat this so you have two, 12- inch cakes to start with. Double the cream and compote, making a bit more than double of the compote.

Combined Time: Approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 10 (9 inch cake)