Italian Strawberry Cream Cake

Since we are in the midst of First Communion season, and Mother's Day Day is next week, I thought I'd share my favorite cake recipe--it's perfect for those festive occasions.  We've always called it Italian Strawberry Cream Cake, though I don't know that it's really Italian (I copied the idea from a local bakery).

For this cake you'll need:

• 9x12 white sponge cake (recipe below)
• about 1 1/2 cups vanilla pastry cream (recipe below)
• 1 pound of  strawberries--1/2 of them sliced, the rest left whole
• 2 cups of heavy cream, whipped (for sweeter cream, add 1/4 cup powdered sugar)

For the sponge cake you'll need:
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups cake flour (I often substitute all purpose--it works fine)
5 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  Prepare 9x12 sheet/cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the salt, baking powder, and flour.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl. mix the oil, eggs and sugar together and beat well. 
4. Add 1/2 the dry ingredients and 1/2 (1/4 cup or so) the milk to the eggs mixture and mix well.  Add the remaining flour mixture and milk.  Mix well.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is cooked through (test with a toothpick).

While the cake is baking, you can start the vanilla pastry cream. You'll need:

2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean (find in the spice aisle), split in half lengthwise
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch

1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the egg yolks and sugar.  Mix in the cornstarch--mix well.
2.  Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the vanilla bean.  Bring to a boil.
3.  Remove from the heat and SLOWLY pour the hot milk into the egg/sugar bowl, whisking the entire time to prevent curdling and lumps. Remove the vanilla bean and discard (or rinse and let dry, then store in your sugar bowl or coffee grounds).
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat until boiling and very thick (1-2 minutes).
5. Remove from the heat and transfer to a covered container.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until chilled.


 To assemble the cake, you'll need to slice it in half horizontally to make 2 thin layers.

Next, spread the pastry cream onto the bottom layer.  Make it about 1/2 inch thick--you may have extra.

Slice 1/2 pound of strawberries and lay them over the pastry cream.

Put the other layer half on top of the strawberries, cut side down, then frost the cake with the whipped cream.

Decorate with some strawberries and chill until ready to serve.  To make the strawberry fans like I have on top of the cake, take 4 large strawberries and make several slices down toward the tip of each, then fan out.  The berries along the sides are just smaller berries with the tops cut off and then cut in half and pressed into the cream at the base of the cake.  Add any other berries you like--raspberries and blueberries would be great with or instead of the strawberries, too.

Enjoy!