Strawberry Balsamic Cake

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 It was one of those fabulously warm weekends.  One of those weekends that puts the entire city in a good mood, simply because the sun has decided to make one of it’s first grand entrances of the year.  One of those weekends that gets warm enough for a run along the river in a t-shirt!  A weekend that encourages barefoot walks on the beach, along with a few darts into the shallow waves to throw sticks for the dogs just a little bit further into the ocean.  A weekend that inspired my family and I to make quiche, chile rellenos, hollandaise sauce, and strawberry balsamic cake, and eat it all before 11am, without regard for creating a well-rounded and balanced meal. 

Brunch was great, and this cake was a perfect celebration of the warming weather and a great way to get excited about the fresh strawberries that feel just a little bit closer after this weekend.  This white cake is sweet and dense, with great flavor and structure thanks to the crystal clear, high protein duck egg whites.  The caramelized balsamic syrup is a whole lot of tang with a little bit of sweet and really makes this cake stand out.   

White Cake:

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 ⅔ cups sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

4 duck egg whites

2 ¾ cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

2. Add egg whites to the butter and sugar, then mix well.  Add vanilla and almond extract.

3. Beginning with 1/3 of the dry ingredients, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the cream to the bowl, ending with the flour and mixing until just incorporated.

4.  Divide batter evenly between two 8-inch cake pans.  Bake at 325° for 25-35 minutes

5. Allow cake to cool completely. 

Strawberry Filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup strawberry jam

Whip heavy cream until it begins to thicken, add in powdered sugar and vanilla.  When sugar is incorporated, add strawberry jam and continue to whip until well combined.

Balsamic Frosting:

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ tablespoons caramelized balsamic syrup

Whip heavy cream until it begins to thicken, add in powdered sugar and continue to whip.  Drizzle in balsamic syrup and whip until well combined.

Simple Syrup

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

Bring to a simmer on the stove and then allow to cool slightly

Caramelized Balsamic Syrup

Measure 1 cup of balsamic vinegar into a saucepan.  Over medium-low heat, reduce to about half of it’s original volume.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Allow sugar to dissolve and remove from heat.

To assemble cake, torte each cake layer in half, brush with simple syrup and fill each layer with a 1/3 of the strawberry filling.

Crumb coat the cake with the balsamic frosting.  Using a piping bag with a large star tip, pipe a star and pull the bag to the left sharply, continue working in rows from the bottom to the top, left to the right, covering a portion of the previous row as you add another.