Strawberry cream cake

By tcasteel2000

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 pounds strawberries
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons reduced-sugar strawberry preserves
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 (5'' by 2 1/2'' each) graham crackers
• 2 tablespoons whole natural almonds
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 1/2 cups light vanilla ice cream, such as slow or double-churned
• 1 1/2 cups mango or passion fruit sorbet
• 3 ripe nectarines, each pitted and cut into 8 wedges
• 2 ripe plums, each pitted and cut into 8 wedges
• 1 cup raspberries

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from today.msnbc.msn.com

Preparation

Step 1

In medium sieve set over deep medium bowl, place basket-style coffee filter or paper towel. Spoon yogurt into filter; cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Prepare cake layers: Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray three 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour. (Or, grease pans, then line bottoms with waxed paper; grease waxed paper and dust lined pans with flour.)

On sheet of waxed paper, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. From lemon, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. In small bowl, with wire whisk, mix buttermilk, oil, lemon peel and juice, and vanilla until blended.

In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat granulated sugar, eggs, and egg whites until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale and thickened, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. With spatula, fold flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, just until blended.

Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. Stagger pans on 2 oven racks, placing 2 on upper rack and 1 on lower rack so that upper pans are not directly above lower one. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With small knife, loosen layers from sides of pans; invert onto racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, reserve 8 small whole strawberries for garnish; cut 4 in half through stem end. Hull remaining strawberries and cut each in half. In large bowl, mix hulled strawberries with granulated sugar and let stand 10 minutes.

Make cream: In medium bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until blended. Fold in drained yogurt.

Assemble cake: Measure 1/2 cup cream and reserve for top of cake. (If using, remove waxed paper from cake layers.) Place 1 cake layer rounded side down on cake plate; spread with 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves. Top with half of remaining cream, spreading to 1 inch from edge of cake layer. Arrange half of strawberries, with some of their juices, in an even layer over cream. Top with another cake layer, pressing lightly. Repeat with remaining preserves, cream, and strawberries with their juices. Top with remaining cake layer. Place 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar in small sieve and sprinkle over the top of cake. Spoon reserved 1/2 cup cream onto center of cake and garnish with reserved strawberries. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare crust: In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add whole almonds and sugar; pulse until almonds are finely chopped. In cup, mix canola oil, honey, and water; drizzle over crumb mixture. Pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up side of 9" round tart pan with removable bottom.

Bake crust 8 to 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned at edges. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Remove ice cream and sorbet from freezer; let stand at room temperature 10 minutes or until slightly softened. Spoon ice cream and sorbet alternately into tart shell, pressing with back of spoon to smooth; cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove side of pan and place tart on round platter. Arrange circle of nectarine wedges 1 inch from edge of tart, then circle of plum wedges inside nectarines. Mound raspberries in center of tart. Serve immediately.