strawberry cake

A while back, my hubby and I went to the local u-pick farm and picked 2 flats of strawberries! Lots of jam was made and this cake too with the leftover berries! So good, I couldn't help but go back to it for seconds :)

Strawberry Cake
from Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pie plate
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch pie plate. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl.
2. Put butter and 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Transfer batter to buttered pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, cut sides down and as close together as possible. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until cake is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pie plate on a wire rack. Cut into wedges. Cake can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, up to 2 days.

Strawberry Ice Cream

My sister-in-law knows I love ice cream and recipe books, so for Christmas 2007, she thoughtfully gifted me the Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book! So many wonderful recipes in this little treasure include everything from their famous Cherry Garcia to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough to Kiwi Sorbet. We had bought some strawberries at the farmer's market this weekend and I decided to give the strawberry ice cream a try, and believe me it did not dissapoint! Thanks Aubrey!


Strawberry Ice Cream
from Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
makes 1 generous quart

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/3 cup sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
*Sweet Cream Base (see below)

1. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare the Sweet Cream Base. Mash the strawberries to a puree and stir into the cream base.

3. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

Note: For a chunkier ice cream, drain the juice from the strawberries and whisk it into the cream base just before transferring it to the ice cream maker. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it's done), add the mashed strawberries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

*Sweet Cream Base
(I chose the 1st of 3 options)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Makes 1 quart.