Strawberry Almond Cardamom Cake

This a combination of a basic cream cake recipe, a Joy the Baker recipe, and my own ideas.  So I guess you can say I finally grew the ovaries to experiment with cake recipes. 

I made it the first time the Sunday before Memorial Day and it was a disaster.  I pored it into a largish, springform pan (last time the cake before being paired with berries worked wonderfully like this).  The strawberries leaked through the bottom of the pan and there was smoke everywhere.  I finally cleaned every thing and stuck the cake back in the oven with a cookie sheet on the lower rack to catch any strawberry drips.  Then the cake didn't cook through.  I had a ring of done cake with a gloppy center.  I may or may not have stood in the kitchen with Hope eating the done bits.

Early on Memorial Day morning I attempted the cake again using 2 9-inch cake pans.

Behold!

Strawberry Almond Cardamom Cake

Ingredients:

For the topping:

2 T unsalted butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1 C strawberries, sliced

1/3 C toasted slivered almonds

For the cake:

 

4 eggs

1.5 C of sugar

1.5 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp ground caradamom

3 C all-purpose flour

4.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp salt

2 C heavy cream

Strawberry Jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

After the oven is heated place the butter in ONE of the cakes pans and pop it in the oven.  When the butter is melted, carefully remove the pan with pot holders and tilt the pan around so the butter coats the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle and evenly distribute the brown sugar.  Now layer the strawberries and then the almonds.  Set aside.

Go ahead and grease the other cake pan with your preferred method and I added some parchment paper for good measure. 

Beat the eggs until very thick.  Add sugar, almond extract, and vanilla.  Beat well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. 

In 3 parts add flour mixture alternating with heavy whipping cream into the eggs and ending with flour (cream, flour, cream, flour, cream, flour).

Pour batter into the pans.  I would advise measuring the batter out to avoid the mess I made.  I put about 1/2 to 3/4 of cup LESS batter into the pan with the strawberries and I had approximately 1.5 cups of batter left over.  DON'T OVERFILL YOUR PANS. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes.  Check your cake at the 30 minute and 35 minute mark.  I stick a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean the cake is done.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 - 15 minutes.

Next flip the cake out onto the cooling rack.  I do this my putting a piece of parchment paper over another rack, sticking the rack upside-down on the cake and then flipping the cake over. 

Allow to cool about 2 -3 hours. 

Place strawberry-free layer on your cake plate.

Spread on as much jam as you like.  It will ooze out depending on how much you use, but it is delicious.

Top with strawberry layer (strawberries up, of course).

Allow to set in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Enjoy!

I brought this cake to a memorial day gathering and Catherine -- with no pre-planning with me -- made a cinnamon cardamom ice cream that paired well the cake.  You could also whip-up some heavy whipping cream.  Hope loved it and Atticus said "mmmmmmmmm...... mmmmmooooorrrreeeeee..... " so it must be good.