Strawberry Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans and set aside.

Put 1 pound of the diced strawberries in a small bowl and sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar on top. Mix with a fork and set aside to let the juices come out while you prepare the rest of the cake.

In a small bowl, whisk milk, egg whites and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large bowl fit for a stand mixer, add the sifted cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Put the bowl on the mixer and add the butter. Beat on low until the mixture is moist and crumbs form. Add the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined. Be careful not to over mix. Add the strawberries in the sugar, with the juices, and beat for about a minute until the batter turns a faint shade of pink and the berries start to break up (do not beat over a minute).

Evenly divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake for about 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Run a knife around the outside of the pans, let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting:
Fit the whisk attachment on a stand mixer and add the whipping cream to the bowl. Whisk on high until soft peaks form. Add sugar to your liking and vanilla and whisk on high until stiff peaks form.

Putting it together:
Line the outsides of a cake plate with parchment paper. Place bottom layer of the cake on the plate. Place a generous portion of the whipped cream in the middle of the layer and evenly spread it across the top. Take the remaining strawberries and line in a single layer over the whipped cream. Place the second cake layer on top. Put another generous portion of whipped cream on top and frost the top and the sides. Decoratively place the the rest of the sliced strawberries on the top of the cake with a whole strawberry in the middle if you desire. Remove the parchment paper to reveal a clean cake plate!

Refrigerate until 30 minutes before ready to serve.

Enjoy!