|| Prepare Strawberry Cream Cake ||

First Step:

Ingredients:

Flour   1 ¼  cups

Baking powder   1 ½  tsp

Salt  1/4  tsp

Sugar  1 cup

Eggs  5 pieces

Butter  6 tbsp

Water  2 tbsp

Vanilla extract 2 tsp

Strawberry Filling:

Fresh strawberries  2 lbs(washed,dried)

Sugar  4-6 tbsp

Kirsch   2 tbsp

Salt  1 teaspoon

Whipped Cream:

Cream cheese  8 ounces

Sugar   1/2  cup

Vanilla extract   1 tsp

Salt  1/8 tbsp

Heavy cream  2 cups

Second Step:

Method:

FOR THE CAKE:

First adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour round 9 by 2-inch cake pan (pan must be at least 2" high!) or 9-inch spring form pan and line with parchment paper.

Then whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar in mixing bowl.

Whisk in 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks butter, water, and vanilla; whisk until smooth.

And in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat remaining 3 egg whites at medium-low speed until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Now with machine running, gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds.

And then stir one-third of whites into batter to lighten; add remaining whites and gently fold into batter until no white streaks remain.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto greased wire rack; peel off and discard parchment.

Invert cake again; cool completely, about 2 hours.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING:

Now halve 24 of best-looking berries and reserve.

Then quarter remaining berries; toss with 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl and let sit 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

And strain juices from berries and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup).

In work bowl of food processor fitted with metal blade, give macerated berries five 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).

Now in small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer reserved juices and Kirsch until syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 minutes.

Then pour reduced syrup over macerated berries, add pinch of salt, and toss to combine.

And now set aside until cake is cooled.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:

When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment.

Whisk at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed.

Then reduce speed to low and add heavy cream in slow, steady stream; when almost fully combined, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture holds stiff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes more, scraping bowl as needed.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

Then using large serrated knife, slice cake into three even layers.

Now place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ring of 20 strawberry halves, cut sides down and stem ends facing out, around perimeter of cake layer.

And now pour 1/2 of pureed berry mixture in center, then spread to cover any exposed cake.

Gently spread about one-third of whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leaving 1/2-inch border from edge.

Then place middle cake layer on top and press down gently

Repeat with 20 additional strawberry halves, remaining berry mixture, and half of remaining whipped cream; gently press last cake layer on top.

Finally spread remaining whipped cream over top; decorate with remaining cut strawberries.

Serve, for up to 4 hours.