I have a favorite recipe based on a French apple cake. I like it so much that I’ve made it in lieu of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and even as a birthday cake. Every time I’ve made it, I can’t help but wonder how it would taste with strawberries instead of apples. Well, I found out, and it is amazingly delicious.
I think it helps that we get such stunningly sweet strawberries here—these are the kinds that need to be used within a day of being picked because they are so fragile and full of juice. They are also richly red and sweet all the way through. This is exactly the reason why I wanted to put them into this cake.
This is yet another cake that calls for almond flour—I seem naturally attracted to this, and it goes very well with the berries and rose flavoring. This cake is a bit time-consuming, but the flavors and textures are worth it.
‘French’ Strawberry Rose Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 large egg + 2 eggs yolks, divided use
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp white sugar, divided use
- 2 tsp rose water
- 1 tsp almond extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1-½ Tbsp sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar for garnish
- 5-6 whole strawberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan or high-sided tart pan with baking spray, then dust with flour.
In a large bowl or a stand mixer, beat 1 egg and the 2 tablespoons of sugar at medium speed until pale in color—about 2 minutes. Stir in melted butter, almond extract, and rose water.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and remaining ¾ cup of sugar. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg/sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until combined after each addition.
Whisk together 1 cup of batter and the egg yolks in a large bowl. Stir in the 1-½ cups of strawberry slices, reserving ½ cup of berries. Spread the egg yolk batter into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining batter, smoothing it with an offset spatula. Press the reserved ½ cup of berries into the top of the batter and sprinkle with the almonds.
Place the baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake before removing it from the pan. Cool completely before serving. Garnish with powdered sugar and whole strawberries.
Serves about 10.
