DESSERT

Strawberry-Honey Cake with Sour Whipped Cream

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Active Time: 30 MIN Total Time: 3 HR YieldServes : 8

This floral, honey-inflected strawberry cake from Eli Dahlin, the chef at Dame in Portland, Oregon, is his springy take on a sticky toffee pudding. If there’s a child in your life (or a kitchen-incompetent friend), let him or her poke the holes. The more there are, the more the honey syrup will penetrate every last bite. 

Ingredients

CAKE:

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered, plus more for serving

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing

  • 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more 
for dusting

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


TOPPINGS:

  • 3/4 cup wildflower or clover honey

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 cup sour cream

How to Make It

Step 1    

Make the cake In a medium bowl, mix the 1 pound of strawberries with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain the berries through a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl. Reserve the syrup for serving. In a food processor, pulse the macerated strawberries until finely chopped.


Step 2    

Preheat the oven to 325°. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 1/3 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the 1 1/2 sticks of butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the egg yolks and eggs, one at time, until just incorporated; scrape down the side of the bowl. At low speed, beat in the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients until just combined, then beat in the chopped strawberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs. Transfer to a rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack, then set the rack on the baking sheet.


Step 3    

Meanwhile, make the toppings In a small saucepan, bring the honey, butter and 1/4 cup of water to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the honey is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden skewer, gently poke holes all over the cake. Slowly pour the honey syrup over the top, letting it get absorbed before adding more. Let the cake cool completely.


Step 4    

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the heavy cream and sour cream 
until soft peaks form. Slice the cake and serve with the sour whipped cream, reserved strawberry syrup and more fresh strawberries.


 Make Ahead

The cake can be prepared through Step 2 and loosely wrapped in foil. Store at room temperature overnight.