Strawberry Chantilly Cream Cake

April is a very busy month for us, birthday-wise. Add in the benefit that I made all those treats for, and you have one busy baker! I enjoy making things for others, though. It gives me my baking fix and allows me to share something delicious and special with those I care about. I made this cake for my husband's birthday last year, and it is one of my favorites (see the cake picture below right, under my profile space with all the strawberries on top). Not too sweet, not too rich, but with light flavors that blend and compliment eachother perfectly. This one is for my father-in-law, who will be coming over tonight to celebrate with us.



Tender White Cake (From King Arthur Flour)
I know I posted this before, but I did again for your convenience!

Cream until fluffy (I like to use the whisk attachment on my Kitchenaid):
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar

Beat in 1 egg; use a spatula to scrape down sides of bowl.

Beat in 4 egg whites.

Add 1 cup whole milk, a little at a time, beating constantly. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract.

Beat in 1 tbsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt. Add 2 3/4 cups cake flour (I like KA Unbleached Cake Flour, available through the mail or at Whole Foods). Beat 1 to 2 minutes more, scraping down sides as needed.

Pour batter into greased and parchment-lined pans: two 8 or 9" rounds.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven: 30-35 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pans, on a wire rack. (We've always been taught to remove the cakes from their pan after about 10 minutes, but they aren't as moist that way and may need to be syruped. I leave my cakes in to cool completely, resulting in a perfectly moist, not soggy, crumb.)

Remove from pans and cut each in half to create four layers. Separate layers with parchment (you may recycle the paper from the bottom of the pans here) and freeze, well wrapped, until needed.

Whipped Creme Fraiche Filling
Combine 1 cup creme fraiche, 3 tbsp powdered sugar, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.

Cream Cheese Icing
Beat together until fluffy:
1 lb cream cheese (2 bricks), at room temp
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp

Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more.

To assemble cake:
Spread 1/3 of the whipped creme frache over the bottom cake layer. Top with thinly sliced strawberries (organic have the best flavor). Repeat with the next two layers. Spread a thin coat of icing over the cake and place in the freezer just a few minutes to allow it to set, but do NOT freeze it (the berry juice will run when they defrost). Finish icing the cake and decorate as desired. Note: This icing is wonderfully delicious, but does not work well for piping decorations.