The perfect summer dessert
For dessert, a bowl of strawberries and cream is always a winner. But instead, consider this lemony spongecake topped with strawberries and cream, which may well generate applause. It’s worth seeking out smaller strawberries, which tend to be riper and sweeter than the large, white-shouldered type. The spongecake may be baked in advance, up to 2 days ahead. It’s fun to hide the strawberries under a thick layer of whipped cream, but you can serve the cream on the side if preferred.
Lemon Cake With Strawberries and Cream
Ingredients:
For the cake:
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cups/140 grams sifted cake flour, plus more for the pan
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
• 3/4 cup/92 grams powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons limoncello or triple sec
• 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
• 1/2 pound/225 grams ripe strawberries, hulled, rinsed and thickly sliced, quartered or halved
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
Prepare the cake:
Place the flour in a large bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Add granulated sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract and salt. Beat until mixture is quite thick and nearly holds peaks, about 10 minutes. Quickly fold into the flour.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a skewer emerges cleanly when inserted into the middle of the cake, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a rack in the pan. (It’s fine to make the cake a day or two in advance.)
Flip the cake onto a platter, leaving the flat surface on top.
Make the glaze: Stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the limoncello until all the sugar has dissolved. Brush all of the glaze over the cake.
Whip cream and 2 tablespoons of the remaining powdered sugar to form very soft peaks — don’t overwhip.
In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with remaining tablespoon lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Spoon strawberries on the cake and top with whipped cream to cover the berries. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, if desired. Cut into wedges to serve.
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes, serves 8.
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