Strawberry - Nutella Cake, a perfect dessert to celebrate your Mother!

Mother's Day is just around the corner.  If you need some inspiration to celebrate your mom with a delicious dessert, this is the perfect recipe for you!

Strawberry season came a little bit earlier this year because of our mild winter, which means we started our favorite strawberry recipes earlier too!

I chose this recipe because of two reasons.  My mom loves strawberries and Chantilly cream.  I have lots of memories of my childhood, when my mommy was just enjoying a delicious "pastel" from the next door bakery with a cup of tea and  for every especial celebration she would request a cake with lots of cream on it!

My mom is five thousands miles away... this holiday makes me long even more for those days when I would surprise her in the morning once she woke up with a present or a crazy concoction. I miss her big hug and kiss.  Despite she is far away, I am so thankful to the Lord for blessing us with her love, and that my boys get to talk to her daily.  She is a hard worker lady. A woman of faith and devotion to the Lord. I am honored to be her child.  Te amo, mami!!!  Te mando amor, amor, amor!! :) Happy Mother's Day, 2012!

Ingredients:

- For the cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

- For the filling:

1 cup Nutella

1 cup fresh sliced strawberries

1 Tbsp. powder sugar

Simple syrup to moisten the cake

Chantilly cream

- For the Frosting (Chantilly cream):

1 quart heavy whip cream, cold (4 cups)

1 1/4 cup powder sugar

Directions:

- For the cake:  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9x2" round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper.  Put the pans on a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Then, whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Pour the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners.  Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

- For the filling:   Mix the sliced strawberries with the powder sugar and let it macerate in the fridge.

- For the frosting:  Add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat!

- To assemble the cake: place one cake layer on a cake platter and poke it with a fork.  Brush some of the simple syrup and spread a layer of Nutella (you can be as generous as you want).  Then, arrange the prepared strawberries in a single layer overlapping each other.  Cover this layer with the whipped cream frosting over the top.   Poke some holes on the second cake layer, brush it with the simple syrup and cover your cake base.  Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake. Smooth it and proceed to decorate as desired.  Refrigerate and enjoy!

(Note:  I personally love homemade cakes, but you can substitute the cake recipe for a regular white cake mix from a box if you wish)

For more delicious treats made by fabulous Chilean bloggers, please visit this link.

Source:  Cake layers - recipe courtesy of "Baking from My home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan.