Strawberries 'n Cream Trifles

Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, until the batter is thick and smooth. Spray the bottom and sides of two 8-inch square pans with nonstick spray-with-flour, line the bottoms with a square of parchment paper, and spray the parchment. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake 15 – 17 minutes until a pick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in the pans, remove the cakes, and cool.

Strawberries ‘n Cream

• 1 pint ripe strawberries, rinsed, hulled and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

Sprinkle sliced strawberries with sugar, stir gently to mix, cover, and chill until ready to assemble trifles. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar to sweeten and stabilize the cream. Cover and chill until ready to assemble.

To Assemble Using a 3-inch round biscuit cutter, cut five circles in each cake, reserving the scraps for quick desserts. Place a round in the bottom of five 6-ounce trifle cups. Top with strawberries and a layer of whipped cream. Place a second round on top of the cream and press gently to spread the cream to the edge of the bowl. Top with more strawberries and just before serving garnish with a generous swirl of whipped Chantilly cream.

Yield: 5 individual servings