Old Fashioned Berry Layer Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED BERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on high speed until mixture is thick and holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface when you raise the whisk, about 5 minutes.
• Place reserved flour mixture on a large piece of parchment paper. Holding paper like a funnel, add flour mixture to egg mixture. With machine running on low speed, mix until just combined. In a steady stream, immediately add oil; mix until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer; detach the whisk. Using the whisk, fold mixture several times.
• Divide batter between pans. Bake cakes, rotating pans halfway through baking time, until the centers spring back when you touch them with your finger, about 30 minutes.
• Immediately turn cakes out onto a wire rack; let stand until completely cool.
• Combine cream, confectioners' sugar, and remaining teaspoon vanilla extract in clean mixer bowl. Scrape in vanilla seeds; reserve pod for another use. Starting on low speed and increasing to medium high, whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, slice cakes in half; place one layer on a serving plate. Spread one-fourth of whipped cream over the layer; arrange strawberries on top. Repeat process with remaining layers, cream, and berries. Refrigerate until serving; garnish with mint.

OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven and position the oven rack: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack to the center of the oven.
• Combine the wet ingredients: In a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl mix 3/4 cup of the strawberry preserves, plus the buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring (if using), until smooth.
• Sift and combine the dry ingredients: Into a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• Cool cakes: Cool the cake in the pans on a rack, for 10 minutes. Then, invert the pans, peel off the paper liners, and cool completely.
• Cut the cake into layers: With a long serrated knife, split each cooled cake into 2 layers, creating 4 layers in total.

OLD FASHIONED CHERRY NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a small bowl or container, mix together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon and set aside.
• In another small bowl mix together the walnuts, cherries and 2 tablespoons of flour to coat. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Set aside.
• Cream together the sugar and margarine.
• Beat in vanilla and almond extracts and eggs, one at a time.
• Beat in sour cream and buttermilk.
• Sift together: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add to wet ingredients.
• Fold in the nuts and cherries.
• Spray the bundt pan heavily with Pam and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.
• Pour in the batter.
• Bake for 27 to 35 minutes on middle rack, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes in pans before removing to wire rack.

OLD FASHIONED POUND CAKE & RASPBERRY TRIFLE

Steps:

• Line bottoms & sides of three 8x4 loaf pans with parchment paper--do NOT grease; preheat oven to 325; place oven rack in lower position.
• In a large bowl, mix pound cake dry ingredients; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy & fluffy, scraping bowl several times; add flavorings, then eggs three at a time--continue beating (a curdled appearance will be "beaten" out with thorough mixing).
• Now begin adding the flour in about half-cup portions, mixing well after each.
• Turn batter into prepped pans, quickly pushing it higher around edges than in center (this will keep the top level).
• Bake for 20 minutes, then increase oven temp to 350, bake 40 minutes longer (crack on top will be slightly browned--showing no moistness).
• Cool for 5 minutes on cooling rack, then remove from pans to finish cooling--DO NOT REMOVE PAPER!
• When cooled, wrap waxed paper around two of the loaves, and then plastic wrap & freeze. Slice the remaining loaf into 12-15 slices, then cubes; set aside.
• WHIPPED CREAM LAYER: In a mixing bowl, beat cream with sugar until stiff peaks form; set aside.
• CREAM CHEESE LAYER: In another bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar. Add about 2 cups of the whipped cream and the lemon zest--fold in; set aside.
• BERRY LAYER: Set aside one cup of berries for garnish. Sprinkle remaining berries with sugar, then lightly mash/crush them. Let them sit for about 30 minutes to get juicy---if you're short of time, add the water and this makes a nice juice too.
• JUST IN CASE: Check berries for bugs and inch-worms! They will float to the top of the juices. (Sorry to gross you out! But so much better you pick them out ahead than have them "appear" in the dessert!).
• ASSEMBLE THE TRIFLE: Sprinkle a layer of pound cake cubes in the bottom of a 3-quart glass serving bowl.
• Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of berry juice over the cubes.
• Spread one fourth of cream cheese mixture over the cake cubes.
• Sprinkle one teaspoon of cocoa over this, then some crushed berries.
• REPEAT this twice. Add about half of the reserved berries to the last layer.
• Top with remaining cream cheese, whipped cream and sifted cocoa; remaining berries added as a garnish before serving.
• Cover & refrigerate for about 3 hours, altho' this is ready-to-eat now (taste really does improve!).

BERRY BLITZ TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Grease the paper, then lightly flour the pans.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt.
• Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or electric beaters, beat 1/2 cup softened butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating, until well combined. Add half the cake flour mixture, then half the milk to the butter mixture, beating until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, then beat in vanilla and nutmeg. Scrape batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth the tops.
• To make meringue topping, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in an electric mixer until cloudlike and very foamy. Continue whipping while adding sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Whip until meringue is smooth and glossy, and stiff peaks form.
• Cover cake batter with meringue, dividing it evenly between pans. Swirl the tops, and sprinkle with pecans. Bake until meringue is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center all the way down to the cake emerges clean, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool for 30 minutes; turn cake out of pan and place on rack right-side up. Let cakes cool completely.
• To assemble, whip the cream with as much of the sugar as you like, and vanilla. Place one cake layer on a serving plate with the meringue side down. Spoon whipped cream on top, then cover with berries. Place second cake layer on top of whipped cream with meringue side up. Serve cake as soon as possible after filling, preferably within 3 hours, and use a serrated knife to cut.

OLD-FASHIONED BERRY LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; set aside. Into a large bowl, sift together flour and cornstarch; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until thick and pale (it should hold a ribbon-like trail on the surface when the whisk is raised), about 5 minutes; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture. With mixer on low speed, beat until just combined. Add oil in a steady stream, mixing until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer. Using the whisk, fold mixture several times.
• Divide batter between pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the cakes are springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Immediately invert cakes onto a wire rack. Then reinvert cakes, and let them cool completely, top sides up.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine cream, confectioners' sugar, and remaining teaspoon vanilla extract. Scrape in vanilla seeds, if using. Starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high, whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes to make level. Slice each cake in half horizontally into two layers. Place one of the bottom layers on a serving plate. Spread a quarter of the whipped cream over the layer; arrange a quarter of the mixed berries on top. Repeat with remaining cake layers, cream, and berries; garnish top with mint leaves, if using. Serve immediately; slice with a serrated knife.