Ingredients for Whip Cream:2 quarts heavy cream (whipping cream)
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Ingredients for Strawberry Filling:
2 packages strawberries chopped or thinly sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
Ingredients for Vanilla Cake:
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
4 eggs
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
2-1/4 teaspoons (11 mL) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) sugar
4 eggs
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
2-1/4 teaspoons (11 mL) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans or one 9x13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper and the sides of the pan well with butter.
In a large mixing bowl, mix chopped/sliced strawberries with sugar and allow to rest for 1-2 hours. (The sugar will pull the natural sugars out of the strawberries and create a light glaze)
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip heavy cream on high until bubbles begin to form. Mix in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and continue whipping the heavy cream for 2-3 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and continue whipping the heavy cream for 1-2 minutes. Mixture will begin to thicken. Taste whip cream once the mixture has thickened. If desired, add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and blend until thoroughly mixed. Turn off blender once the whip cream has reached desired thickness. (The longer you blend the whip cream, the thicker it will become.) Wrap top of bowl with aluminum foil and allow to rest in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, and vanilla and beat for another minute, just until the batter is smooth and creamy. Don't overbeat. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan(s).
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add flour, milk, oil, baking powder, and vanilla and beat for another minute, just until the batter is smooth and creamy. Don't overbeat. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan(s).
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tops are golden and a toothpick poked into the center of the layer comes out clean. (A single rectangular pan will take longer to bake than two round ones.) Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a thin knife, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper. Let cool completely.
Servings: Two 9-inch (23-cm) round layers for stacking, or one 9- x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) rectangular cake.
Once completely cooled, cut the top layer of cake so that cake is level. With a large spoon, scoop whip cream onto one layer of cake until covered with whip cream. Scoop glazed strawberries to put on top of whip cream. Place second layer of cake over the strawberries and cover entire cake (including sides if desired) and decorate with strawberries if desired.
Submitted by Paola Deininger
