I am a cookbook junkie. I have them all. Yes - I'm pretty sure that I own every cookbook published after 2009.
...
Ok, this is obviously not true. It's not possible. But judging by my overflowing bookcases, the baskets on my hearth and the stacks on my coffee table - I'm pretty sure I have most of them. Especially if they have anything to do with baking or desserts or my blogging friends. I might need an intervention.
But see what I'm REALLY trying to do is to convince my husband that I need a photography studio-slash-prop storage-slash cookbook storage room. It would be bright and airy, mostly white and right off my kitchen for easy access. This seems far more logical than a wood shop to store all of HIS stuff in, right? I thought so. You're my people. You get me.
If he gets a wood shop, that means he'll just have to fill it up with new, expensive tools. By comparison, food blog props and cookbooks are terribly economical. It just makes good financial sense, really. Right? Yes.
I'm not saying he can't have his wood shop ever, but c'mon. Priorities.
My point, though, is that one of my newest cookbook acquisitions has proven to be a good one. A reaaaalllly good one. Baked%20Occasions:%20Desserts%20for%20Leisure%20Activities,%20Holidays,%20and%20Informal%20Celebrations">Baked Occasions by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito is chock full of fabulous recipes. The sprinkle cake on the front cover drew me in, and I earmarked the first seven recipes - until I realized that clearly I just want to make everything in this book.
I started with the Strawberry Supreme Cake. Good, good choice. This is a real strawberry cake, not one of those box mix, fake-pink cakes. The cake is light, has the most tender crumb I've ever seen, and manages to capture all of the flavors of the best strawberry-shortcake you've ever had.
But it's not shortcake, it's a cake-cake. Does that even make sense?
The cake is filled with whipped cream and chopped strawberries. The frosting is buttery, flour-based and just sweet enough to work. It's definitely not a quick and easy cake to whip up in a few minutes, but it's so worth every second.
I come bearing some tips for you. I REALLY don't want you to be discouraged by the ingredient list or the lengthy directions - it's not that bad. I would definitely start by pre-measuring all of your ingredients and getting everything laid out. Prep your pans, puree your strawberries, bring everything to room temp. It really does make everything go much more quickly and will prevent you from getting sidetracked, panicked or off track when you're putting it all together.
I'm sure I've told you before, but my favorite cake pans are 8-inch round by 2-inch deep aluminum pans. They are light colored so they promote more even browning, and they're deep enough to keep your cake tops nice and flat. You can also buy ">pre-cut parchment circles that fit right down into your pans to make removal super quick and easy. If you invest in a few tools up front, baking suddenly becomes easier and more fun. It sounds overly simple and obvious, but it's true!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we did. A little prep work and it won't be bad at all - and if you're a cookbook hound like I am, definitely check out the Name%20Your%20Link">Baked books for some great recipes
