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fresh strawberry cake

* from Country Living Magazine, July 2004

ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup strawberry preserves**
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon red food colouring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F, line two 9", round pans with parchment paper. Lightly coat pan with butter, dust with flour and tap out excess. Set aside.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda together and set aside.

3. Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl using mixer set at medium-high speed. Add 3/4 cup preserves and the eggs, one at a time, blending each addition thoroughly. Scrape down sides of bowl and heat in vanilla extract and the food colouring.

4. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with a final addition of the dry ingredients.

5. Divide the batter equally between the pans and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack of oven until a tester inserted in the centre of each cake layer comes out clean -- about 20 - 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

6. Beat cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar to soft peaks and spread over the top of one layer (remaining layer can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months). Top with strawberries and drizzle with remaining preserves. Serve immediately.

** If you want to make the preserves:

Cook 2 pounds of strawberries and 4 cups of sugar for about an hour over medium-low heat to a thick, syrup consistency.

Changes, hints, tips and thoughts for this recipe:

• instead of using the remaining batter for a second layer that would just go in the freezer, I made cupcakes...for an order I had going out the following weekend -- cheating? Not when the batter is this good...