I remember offering fresh strawberries and whipped cream served over Sara Lee pound cake as dessert when I first started to entertain during my post-college days. At that time, I focused my efforts on the savory part of the meal. Desserts were not part of my wheelhouse at all. They were more like an after-thought for me so I’d think of store bought things that I could quickly put together.
Fast forward to now, where not only do I love to make desserts, but I love making them with hubby and my boys. Being a non-artistic, left brained data girl in my past life, desserts are a creative and fun outlet for me. I could live off of the ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhs’ when I make something pretty. Even better if it looks impressive and difficult to do but really isn’t. That’s the case with this strawberry pound cake.
When you make the batter, it will be DENSE. Like, you’re going to feel like you-did-something-wrong kind of dense. But you didn’t. Keep working it until it is all incorporated.
Have you ever stabilized your whipped cream? It’s how you can make sure your whipped cream frosting doesn’t melt and droop off of your cake. There are a few different ways to do this. I go the powdered gelatin route. You just dissolve it in heated water and add it to the cold cream before it forms peaks.
But this frosting isn’t just a plain whipped cream frosting. It’s a whipped cream + cream cheese + fresh strawberry frosting. SO good.
I like to put a generous amount of frosting in between the 2 pound cake layers. Or, you can make a 3 layer cake and make a thinner layer of filling between each.
Look at that!
Your friends and family will love this summer time cake!
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 4½ cups cake flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs + 1 egg white
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup + 6 tablespoons milk
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- ½ tsp powdered unflavored gelatin
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2-3 pints strawberries, finely chopped (= about 2 cups chopped strawberries)
- FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans.
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs and mix well until combined.
- Mix in sour cream, vanilla and mix well until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and stir by hand until fully incorporated then stir in the milk.
- Add the remaining flour and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. (Batter will be DENSE)
- Divide the batter into the 2 prepared, round baking pans.
- Bake for about 35 minutes. Cakes are done when tops spring back with a light touch, or a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Dissolve powdered gelatin over 1½ tbsp hot water and set aside.
- With a hand held mixer beat the heavy cream until soft peaks are formed. Add dissolved gelatin and continue mixing until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside in the fridge.
- Fit the paddle attachment on your stand mixer and beat cream cheese on high until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and sugar and beat on medium until fully incorporated.
- Stir in chopped strawberries on low speed. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula until well combined.
- ASSEMBLY
- Place the first cake layer on your serving platter and frost just the top with the strawberry frosting (about 1" thick).
- Repeat with the next layer, then frost the sides with an offset spatula.
- Smooth top and sides until even, then top with sliced strawberries for garnish, if desired.
