We have a family tradition of going strawberry picking on Mother’s Day weekend.  Just past Travelers Rest is Beechwood Farms, a nice, family-friendly farm with the juiciest strawberries. It’s hard not to eat while you pick.

I tell the kids that they can taste one in each row, but we’ve left plenty of times with tummy aches because they just couldn’t resist.

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When you exit the farm, instead of using the drive-thru to pay, park your car and walk inside to the market. You’ll find a variety of vegetables for sale, and they treat moms on Mother’s Day weekend to strawberry shortcake!

I like to pick the reddish-purple, really ripe, fall-off-the-vines fruit for cooking. When the kids were in elementary school, I would make their teachers my homemade strawberry jam. They make great gifts for neighbors and co-workers, too! 

May is the only time I make my jam and this delicious strawberry cake because the strawberries are at their peak, and they taste so fresh that you don’t have to add a lot of sugar to sweeten them up.

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The color and taste of this cake will be a true testament to just how ripe the strawberries are. You can make the cake any time of the year using frozen strawberries, but it won’t be nearly as good!Beechwood Farms is closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly. If you didn’t go on Mother’s Day weekend, get it on the calendar before the strawberries run out!

Kiki’s Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons water

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 egg whites, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

Red food coloring (optional)

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

Dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cake:

First gather the eggs, butter and milk and measure the quantity you need and let them come to room temperature while you're collecting your pantry items.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, stir together 1 1/2 cups strawberries, water, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes or until the strawberries cook down and start to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the baking powder and salt.

In another large bowl beat together the butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar until creamy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg whites, one at a time for 1 minute each and add the vanilla.

On low speed, add a small amount of the flour mixture and then some milk. Do this until the flour and milk are all added in. Do not overmix the flour. Stir in the cooked strawberry mixture and remaining 1/2 cup strawberries. If the batter is not as pink as you would like, add a couple drops of red food coloring.

Divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes; then invert layers onto cooling racks.

For Kiki’s Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until light and creamy.

Frosting the cake: Place one cake layer on a cake stand, using small pieces of parchment or wax paper, sliding them underneath the cake for easy clean-up later. Spread some of the frosting on top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake, sealing in the crumbs (don't use more than half of the frosting). Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Cover the cake with the remaining frosting. Carefully remove the paper pieces.Refrigerate until the frosting is firm.

Store the cake covered in the refrigerator, but let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

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