I Could Be Famous With This Cake...

Seriously.  I could.  Okay, maybe not in its current state (I am not a master froster, but I'm gonna learn, I swear it!) but still, this was such a masterpiece, even with my elementary baking skills, that I could be famous.

If only the recipe wasn't already owned by a J. Morgan's Steakhouse in Montpelier, Vermont.  And if only that big-mouth Bon Appetit hadn't printed the damn recipe.  

Let me tell you what made me fall in love with the recipe, just by reading it alone:  it called for 2 tablespoons of vanilla.   Seriously.  It wasn't a typo.  Two tablespoons.  And 7 eggs!  7!  And a cup of sour cream.  Good lord, what couldn't be good with all that going on?  Love love love.

I have to admit, however, that the recipe is just slightly flawed.  So, if I make a few changes does it make my own?  Does this become The Town Tart's Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting?  Oh, okay, probably not.  I'd love to try, though!  Hee hee.  It's miine, all miine, I tell you.

I started a new job today, and like the nerdy girl starting a new school, I brought in the leftovers (this makes a HUGE cake) to try to make friends and the entire cake was engulfed before noon.  No one even left that "courtesy piece."  You know, the one last bit that nobody ever takes.  The cake was gone.  Only the empty tupperware was left as evidence that anything had been there are all.

I guess I will have to make this once a week.  You can too.  Just make sure you say it's from The Town Tart.  ;)  Kidding, kidding.  That genius in Vermont came up with it.  Make it and pretend you are a genius too!

 

Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Cream Frosting
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Frosting

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar [I just used one 1-pound box -- I hate measuring powdered sugar]
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Cake

3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
7 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
6 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam
2 1/4 pounds strawberries, hulled, sliced [I didn't need near that many, but eh... too each his own about that]

Frosting:  Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl.  Beat in sugar, then jam.  Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into frosting. [I didn't read this part until I had already used my mixer bowl.  So I just dumped the whipped cream in without whipping it... I don't know if it made a huge difference or not... but oh well... I wasn't going to go beat the cream by hand.]  Cover; chill until firm enough to spread, about 2 hours.

Cake:  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides.  [I believe this to be one of the serious flaws.  Thankfully, I had read reviews of this recipe where people said they had disasters with the cake batter overflowing.  There is no doubt that this cake would have overflowed for me as well had I only used two pans.  I split the batter into three pans and it was perfect.  Also, I line my pans with parchment and butter and flour that... just a personal preference and a bit of insurance.]  Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Add sour cream; beat 30 seconds.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions.  Divide batter between prepared cake pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  [Now, obviously, if you are using three pans, the cooking time is shorter.  I started testing at 30 minutes.  I pulled one at 30, and the other two at 35 minutes.  I also should have used two ovens for this... and I don't know why I didn't, as I have SIX, but I never claimed to be clever.]  Cool in pans on rack for 10 minutes.  Run a small sharp knife around pan sides, then turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely.

Using a large serrated knife, cute each cake horizontally in half.  [If you do this in three pans, you don't have to cut the layers.]  Place 1 cake half, cut side up, on cake plate.  Spread 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam over, then 3/4 cup of frosting.  Top with 3/4 cup sliced berries, arranging in a single layer.  Repeat two more times with the cake layer, jam, frosting and berries. [It's only once more if you are doing the three-layer thing.]  Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.  Spread 2 cups of frosting over top and sides of cake in thin layer to coat completely.  Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.  Stir remaining 1/3 cup jam to loosen.  Spoon teaspoonfuls onto top and sides of cake, then use bake of spoon to swirl jam into frosting.

Serve and take all of the credit. :)

Comments

[Andrea]

WOWEE WOW WOW!!! This looks incredible, TT!! You RULE.

[Kathy Hoover]

Absolutely divine! Loved every single bite! Thank you for another hit. It's so beautiful too! Just look at you go Town Tart!

[Robyn]

Oh my god. Beautiful!