Almond Sponge Cake Strawberry Shortcake — homecooking — recipe
I tells ya, if you ever want to work out your upper arms, whip your way into shape (literally) by making an Almond Sponge Cake Strawberry Shortcake (from scratch by hand) with freshly whipped cream. Owch.
You separate the eggs, whip the egg yolks until they become “thick and pale”, which is basically forever (just kidding; it actually was surprisingly quick thanks to fast twitch muscles– also handy for putting a mean spin on a tennis ball, but that’s another story). Then you whip the egg whites into oblivion. Then you whip the heavy cream. Then you slice all the berries. Then you lose feeling in your arm. And that’s how you make strawberry shortcake the hard way. But it’s all in the name of looove, so totally worth it.
Almond Sponge Cake recipe below. Just alternate layers with whipped cream (you can cheat and use the spray or frozen stuff, I won’t tell) and sugared berries. I personally think it looks better with “haphazard” layers. Enjoy!
Almond Sponge Cake
(Makes two 6-inch-round layers or one 9-inch square)
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup whole almonds
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, for pans
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let almonds cool.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place the cooled almonds and the cornstarch in bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. Butter two 6-inch-round layer-cake pans. Line pans with parchment paper, and butter again. Flour pans, and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together egg yolks and vanilla. With mixer on high speed, gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until pale, thick, and light, about 5 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl; set aside. Wash and dry mixer bowl and attachment.
5. Place egg whites and salt in the clean mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high, and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until stiff and glossy, about 4 minutes.
6. Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold the reserved ground-almond mixture into this new mixture. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, and smooth the tops with an offset spatula.
7. Bake cakes until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool, about 25 minutes. Turn out cakes, and cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.
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