Nifty Cake with Strawberries Peaches and Cream
A tribute to my father for his many gifts and love. Dad gave me my first photography lesson and encouraged me to continue with it along the way. Included with this tribute is a cake recipe for Nifty Cake. An updated version of the birthday cake I baked for him when I was a teenager. This cake recipe features his favorite fruits, strawberries and peaches. GS
Over the past few weeks my dad and his memory has filled my thoughts. His forward presence came around for no other reason than it is strawberry season. Dad loved strawberries, especially strawberries and cream. I can clearly see him sitting at the head of the table with a bowl of strawberries, pouring heavy cream all over them and then add a sprinkle of sugar. Whenever strawberries were in the house, this was his impromptu dessert.
I would watch his strawberry and cream routine with a raised eyebrow and a sideways smirk, “Really Dad? You’re drinking heavy cream.” I could not see how heavy cream, even adorned with strawberries, was worthy of such attention. Eating sweetened whipped cream I understood, but cream straight out of the container was gross. Ignoring my smirky adolescent attitude, Dad would dive into his bowl of strawberries and cream like a seasoned athlete, ever so focused and determined to savor every drop. Eventually, he would look up seeing my adolescent stare and say, “What? It’s great. Do you want some?” He was always eager to share the things that brought him joy.
It amazes me how random and small instances, or thoughts, can bring out strong emotions and memories. Once the strawberry trigger hit me, memories of my life with Dad filled me with his spirit, and it hasn’t left. I am not sad with these memories, it is nice to feel his presence since I can no longer see or talk with him. He gave me many gifts over our lifetime together, and I am grateful for the precious time we spent together.
One common interest we shared is still very prominent in my life. He gave me my first photography lesson. I can’t remember if I initiated it or not, but when I was around 12 years old he took me out to the dry grassy hills above Old St. Hilary Church and taught me how to use his Tele-Rolleiflex camera and his light meter. Tele-Rollei is a 120mm camera that required the photographer to look down into a viewing box to see the image. Also, a separate hand-held light meter was needed to determine the exposure. There was a lot to learn, and each photograph took extra time to set up and capture.
One of Dad’s favorite activities was taking pictures of wildflowers. So, on my first day I wandered along the Tiburon hills photographing wildflowers with apt attention and a new-found love. That day is as vivid to me like a bright California summer day. I wonder if Dad initiated this outing because the two of us were just sitting around the house and he thought we both needed something to do.
I recently found the photographs I took on our day together. Dad saved them filed with his slides as, “Jennifer’s Pictures.” Seeing my slides organized with his, made me feel that day was as important to him as it was to me. After all these years I never knew he had them. Ever since that day on the Tiburon hills, photography has been a significant part of my life. Thanks Dad.
Father’s Day BBQ recipe ideas to serve with Nifty Cake:
Grilled Sherry Marinated Flank Steak
Nifty Cake Recipe for Dad
When I was in middle school I started making birthday cakes for my family. I would ask my brothers what cake they wanted and set out to bake it for them. For Dad’s birthday I did not ask him what he wanted, I knew. I created a cake overflowing with his favorite fruits: yellow butter cake (from a mix), layered with strawberries, peaches and whipped cream.
This was my first “original” cake recipe. I piled the middle layer with whipped cream and fruit, then frosted the entire cake with more whipped cream and decorated with strawberries and peaches. It was a miracle the cake did not topple over. This cake is a strawberry, peaches and cream lover’s dream come true, and I made it for him every year until I went away to college.
Dad often used the expression “nifty” when he described something fun. In his honor, I decided to recreate my cake recipe I made for dad and call it Nifty Cake. When I first developed this cake recipe for Dad I used a cake mix. Now, I make cakes from scratch and had a lot of fun figuring out the type of cake to make. After testing several cake recipes, I decided on a Buttermilk Cake from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s book, The Cake Bible. I slightly adapted her cake recipe and substituted all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, because it is an ingredient people can easily get.
This buttermilk cake recipe with strawberries, peaches and sweetened whipped cream can be dressed up or kept simply adorned. If you are a person who does not like frosting, this is the cake for you. This is a delicate cake with slight tang and prominent butter flavor. It is delicious all by itself, or covered with any type of frosting. This cake is a blank canvas for endless varieties of frosting and toppings. It is the perfect cake for the strawberries and cream lover in your life.
Love and miss you Dad.
Nifty Cake: Buttermilk Cake with Strawberries, Peaches and Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Buttermilk Cake
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup / 5.5 oz / 160 g buttermilk
- 1/2 tea pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbls / 7 oz / 200 grams sifted all-purpose flour see note
- 1 cup / 7 oz / 200 g sugar
- 1 TB / 15 g baking powder
- 1/2 tea / 3.5 g Kosher salt
- 8 TBS/ 4 oz / 113 g unsalted butter - softened
Fruit Filling
- 8 oz / 225 g Fresh Strawberries
- 1/2 Fresh Peach
- 1/3 cup / 75 ml best quality strawberry or peach jam
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups / 16 oz / 500 ml heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tea pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 tea sugar
- Decorate the top of the cake with additional peach slices and strawberries.
Instructions
Buttermilk Cake
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You will have more success if all your ingredients are at room temperature when you begin mixing the cake batter.
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit /175 degrees Celsius/ Gas Mark 4
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Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter the paper. Lightly flour the bottom and sides of the cake pan. Shake out excess flour.
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In a medium bowl lightly mix together the egg yolks, 1/4 of the buttermilk, and vanilla.
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In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer add the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix together for a few seconds on low speed so they are all fully blended. Add the butter, cut up in tablespoons pieces, and the remaining buttermilk to the mix. Mix the ingredients together on low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated with the butter. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1.5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and scrape the batter off the
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paddle/beaters.
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Add the buttermilk/egg mixture to the flour in 3 intervals, beating the batter for 20 seconds between each addition. After mixing the batter, scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle attachment.
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Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the surface with an offset spatula. Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and dry.
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Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in its pan on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Turn the cake out of the pan and remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Turn the cake over, right side up, and place on the cooling rack. The cake should be completely cooled before frosting and serving.
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This cake is best eaten the same day it is made, but will last wrapped airtight in plastic wrap, for 3 days on the counter, 5 days in the refrigerator, and for 2 months in the freezer.
Fruit Filling
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Clean and remove the stems from the strawberries. Dry with paper towels. Cut the strawberries into bite size pieces and put into a small bowl.
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Peal the skin off the peach, then slice into thin segments. Cut each segment into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the strawberries. Gently mix the fruit together until well combined. Set aside.
Whipped Cream
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Chill the bowl you will use to make whipped cream and the beaters in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Take the bowl and beaters out of the freezer and add cold heavy cream and vanilla to the chilled bowl. Beat the cream mixture on high speed until the cream forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted from the cream. Be careful not to over mix and turn the cream into butter. If you are planning to frost the cake with the cream, you will want the stiff peaks. If you are planning to have the whipped cream only for the middle and top cake layers the whipped cream can be softer and not whipped as stiff.
Putting the cake together
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Divide the cake in half horizontally to make two layers. (See Note) Put the bottom layer on a serving plate and the top layer on another plate or rimless pan or tray. (Cardboard cake rounds are perfect if you have them)
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Evenly spread the strawberry or peach jam across the top of the bottom cake layer. Spread 1 cup of the whipped cream evenly across the jam.
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Add the mixed fruit then spread the fruit. Press the fruit evenly into the cream so that there is a flat and smooth fruit/cream layer.
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Slide the top cake layer on top of the bottom cake layer, lining up the notches on the side, (see note). Add the remaining whipped cream and spread it over the top of the cake. Decorate the cake with additional peaches and strawberries as you wish.
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The cake is best served the same day it is made. Add the fruit and whipped cream to the cake as close to serving time as comfortable. Store the cake in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped with plastic wrap until ready to serve. Take the cake out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
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After 24 hours the cake will get soggy and the whipped cream will loosen.
Recipe Notes
Nifty Cake is a buttermilk cake with strawberries, peaches and sweetened whipped cream. It is a delicious and simple cake that is appropriate for any occasion. The buttermilk cake can easily be eaten plain, topped with whipped cream and fruit on the side. It is the perfect cake for those who do not like frosting, as well as served with any variety of frosting you wish.
The buttermilk cake recipe was slightly adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum recipe, "Buttermilk Country Cake" in "The Cake Bible Cookbook".
© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.
Impulse Baking, Saffron & Lemon Syrup Cake from Honey and Co, The Cookbook
Some people have a habit of impulse buying; I have a habit of impulse baking. Thanks to the Westchester Library System, and a well stocked pantry, my impulse baking does not also include an impulse buy. On occasion, I will be browsing through a cookbook, whether one of my own or from the library, and start flipping through the pages, and then glance at a few recipes to get a feel for the cookbook. But now and then I will come across a photograph of food that is ever so stunning and with an enticing name, calling out me to take a closer look. Sometimes I wished I could to defy all laws of nature, and transport myself into the photograph and claim the food for myself.
This loss of willpower happened to me not too long ago when I was scanning over Honey & Co, The Cookbook by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer. Honey & Co is a restaurant in London, England owned and operated by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, the cookbook is a collection of their favorite recipes featured at their restaurant. I picked up Honey & Co, The Cookbook and randomly opened the book. What immediately appeared before me was a simple but stunning photograph of their Saffron and Lemon Syrup Cake. Hello sunshine. At that time, I did not realize I had dreamed of this cake. It was something bright, something different, something special, something I had to make.
The saying goes, “… a picture is worth a thousand words”; this picture spoke to me, by repeatedly chanting, “Saffron Lemon Syrup Cake…” a thousand times over. The cake was pictured on a glass shelf placed next to a large tomato can vase, overflowing with bright orange anemones. (I also love flowers.) The bright orange flowers and the glowing lemon cake was simple but elegant. It was such a tease. I longed to be right there, standing in front of the restaurant in London. I had no choice and brought the book home. Within a couple of hours the cake was finished and cooling on my kitchen counter.
But, I couldn’t resist….
But, the book opened right to the recipe… It must be a sign….
But, it is such a grey day and this cake is so bright and cheery….
But, I love to bake cakes.
I love it when an impulse bake works out, and what I imagined is not far from the truth. Saffron and Lemon Syrup Cake was everything its appearance suggested it would be: a sweet and bright lemon flavor, moist from the syrup, and the warmth of saffron subtly presenting itself with each bite.
Thank you Honey and Co, The Cookbook. Thank you Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer.
Saffron & Lemon Syrup Cake from Honey and Co, The Cookbook
Get immediately transported to a Mediterranean Holiday with by making Saffron Lemon Syrup Cake. This cake is as delicious to eat as it is beautiful to look at. This is a novel cake with traditional Mediterranean roots. A real delight with a tempered lemon tang from the saffron.
Based on my little bit of research, Saffron Lemon Syrup Cake is an adaption of traditional semolina flour syrup cakes from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The semolina flour and the almond flour give the cake a nice texture, even when soaked in saffron syrup.
This recipe is from Honey and Co, The Cookbook by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer and shared with their permission.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 13 tbsp/200 g butter
- 2 cups/270 g cups/270g sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups / 200 g ground almonds (almond meal/flour)
- A pinch of turmeric
- 3/4 cup / 140 g semolina flour
- 3 tbs pastry flour
- 1 lemon- the zest and juice
- A pinch A pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp tea baking powder
For the Syrup and Topping
- 2-3 lemons very thinly sliced preferably using a mandolin
- Enough water to cover the lemons x2
- 1 3/4 cups/ 400 ml water for syrup
- 1 1/4 cups / 250 g c/250g sugar
- A pinch turmeric
- A pinch saffron
Instructions
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Prepare lemons and syrup
With a mandolin, or a very sharp knife, very thinly slice the lemons. A mandolin is the best tool for this job, but if you do not have one evenly slice the lemons about 1/8 inch thick. Place the lemon slices in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the pot of water and lemons to a boil and immediately turn off the heat and drain the water. Repeat one more time.
After blanching the lemons twice, put 1 3/4 cups/400ml water, 1 1/4 cup/250g sugar, the lemon slices, and a pinch of turmeric and saffron in a saucepan. Set the pan on the burner and turn on heat to medium high. Bring to light boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 6-8 minutes, just until the syrup has thickened, and the peel has softened. Turn off the heat and bring the syrup over to your prepared cake pan.
Arrange the lemon slices around the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Lift the lemon slices out of the syrup with a fork and arrange them partially up the sides of the pan and all around the bottom of the cake pan. The slices can partially overlap, but you want to fill the whole bottom with the lemon slices. You might not need all the slices, so save the extras for a treat. They are delicious. Pour 2 Tb of the saffron syrup over the arranged lemon slices, then set aside. Pour the remaining syrup in a 2 cup/ 500 ml liquid measuring cup and save the syrup for later. (Any small pitcher will do.)
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Make the cake
In a small bowl mix the semolina flour, pastry flour, salt and baking powder until just combined. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer or by hand. You want the butter and the sugar to be thoroughly mixed together but not fluffy. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then the ground almonds and turmeric and mix together until well combined. Add the semolina flour mixture, the lemon juice and the lemon zest then mix well.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Rotate the cake around to encourage even browning and baking. Continue to bake for 10-15 minutes more. The cake is done when the cake is an even golden brown and is firm to touch. A cake tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean.
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Finishing touches
Take the cake out of the oven rest the cake, still in its pan, on a wire bakers rack. Pour the reserved syrup evenly over the entire cake. Do this slowly and carefully. You want the cake to evenly absorb all the syrup so that there are not dry spots within the cake. Once all the syrup is poured over the cake, let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes before you unmold the cake from the pan.
To unmold the cake, put a plate large enough to rest on top of the cake pan and hold the cake, (top of plate and top rim of pan will be touching). Holding the plate and the pan together, flip the plate and the pan over so that the cake pan is now on top of the plate. Gently lift the cake pan up so that the cake releases. Let the cake rest until you are ready to serve. The cake will keep on the counter for a couple of days, wrapped in plastic wrap.
Notes:
1-Meyer Lemons are a good lemon choice for the cake. You want lemons that have a thin peel and not a lot of the bitter pith. I have had difficulty with the Eureka lemons from the super market. They tend to disintegrate more from being cooked in the syrup.
2- A pinch is a relative amount. The turmeric and saffron add both flavor and color to the cake. You can start with 1/4 tea of each. Saffron is a very expensive seasoning with a distinctive taste. A little goes a long way. You do not want to be skimpy, but you do not want to overdo it either.
Recipe Notes
Notes:
1-Meyer Lemons are a good lemon choice for the cake. You want lemons that have a thin peel and not a lot of the bitter pith. I have had difficulty with the Eureka lemons from the super market. They tend to disintegrate more from being cooked in the syrup.
2- A pinch is a relative amount. The turmeric and saffron add both flavor and color to the cake. You can start with 1/4 tea of each. Saffron is a very expensive seasoning with a distinctive taste. A little goes a long way. You do not want to be skimpy, but you do not want to overdo it either.
© 2016 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.
