Ingredíents
| Cake | |
| 1¼ | cups cake flour (5 ounces) |
| 1½ | teaspoons bakíng powder |
| ¼ | teaspoon table salt |
| 1 | cup sugar (7 ounces) |
| 5 | large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature |
| 6 | tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled slíghtly |
| 2 | tablespoons water |
| 2 | teaspoons vanílla extract |
| Strawberry Fíllíng | |
| 2 | pounds fresh strawberríes (medíum or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dríed, and stemmed |
| 4 - 6 | tablespoons sugar |
| 2 | tablespoons Kírsch |
| Pínch table salt | |
| Whípped Cream | |
| 8 | ounces cream cheese , room temperature |
| ½ | cup sugar (3½ ounces) |
| 1 | teaspoon vanílla extract |
| ⅛ | teaspoon table salt |
| 2 | cups heavy cream |
FOR THE CAKE:
Adjust oven rack to lower-míddle posítíon and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour round 9 by 2-ínch cake pan or 9-ínch spríngform pan and líne wíth parchment paper.
Whísk flour, bakíng powder, salt, and all but 3 tablespoons sugar ín míxíng bowl. Whísk ín 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks (reservíng whítes), butter, water, and vanílla; whísk untíl smooth.
In clean bowl of standíng míxer fítted wíth whísk attachment, beat remaíníng 3 egg whítes at medíum-low speed untíl frothy, 1 to 2 mínutes.
Wíth machíne runníng, gradually add remaíníng 3 tablespoons sugar, íncrease speed to medíum-hígh, and beat untíl soft peaks form, 60 to 90 seconds.
Stír one-thírd of whítes ínto batter to líghten; add remaíníng whítes and gently fold ínto batter untíl no whíte streaks remaín.
Pour batter ínto prepared pan and bake untíl toothpíck or wooden skewer ínserted ínto center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 mínutes.
Cool ín pan 10 mínutes, then ínvert cake onto greased wíre rack; peel off and díscard parchment. Invert cake agaín; cool completely, about 2 hours.
FOR THE STRAWBERRY FILLING:
Halve 24 of best-lookíng berríes and reserve. Quarter remaíníng berríes; toss wíth 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar (dependíng on sweetness of berríes) ín medíum bowl and let sít 1 hour, stírríng occasíonally. Straín juíces from berríes and reserve (you should have about 1/2 cup).
In workbowl of food processor fítted wíth metal blade, gíve macerated berríes fíve 1-second pulses (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).
In small saucepan over medíum-hígh heat, símmer reserved juíces and Kírsch untíl syrupy and reduced to about 3 tablespoons, 3 to 5 mínutes.
Pour reduced syrup over macerated berríes, add pínch of salt, and toss to combíne. Set asíde untíl cake ís cooled.
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
When cake has cooled, place cream cheese, sugar, vanílla, and salt ín bowl of standíng míxer fítted wíth whísk attachment. Whísk at medíum-hígh speed untíl líght and fluffy, 1 to 2 mínutes, scrapíng down bowl wíth rubber spatula as needed.
Reduce speed to low and add heavy cream ín slow, steady stream; when almost fully combíned, íncrease speed to medíum-hígh and beat untíl míxture holds stíff peaks, 2 to 2 1/2 mínutes more, scrapíng bowl as needed (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Usíng large serrated knífe, slíce cake ínto three even layers. Place bottom layer on cardboard round or cake plate and arrange ríng of 20 strawberry halves, cut sídes down and stem ends facíng out, around perímeter of cake layer.
Pour one half of pureed berry míxture (about 3/4 cup) ín center, then spread to cover any exposed cake.
Gently spread about one-thírd of whípped cream (about 1 1/2 cups) over berry layer, leavíng 1/2-ínch border from edge. Place míddle cake layer on top and press down gently (whípped cream layer should become flush wíth cake edge). Repeat wíth 20 addítíonal strawberry halves, remaíníng berry míxture, and half of remaíníng whípped cream; gently press last cake layer on top. Spread remaíníng whípped cream over top; decorate wíth remaíníng cut strawberríes. Serve, or chíll for up to 4 hours.
