Vanilla Cream Cake

Many, many, years ago (about 20) an older lady at work made this wonderful cake for me. At the time I could of cared less about a recipe but now much older and wiser I wish I had it. I dream about it. So with my brain in over drive I have been trying to piece this cake together. This is what I came up with. It's a little time consuming but I really had my heart in it. Taking it to Daddy's for Father's Day. I hope he loves it.

Cake

parchment paper

3 1/2 c flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/4 c sugar

1 c packed light brown sugar

5 lg eggs

1 c whipping cream

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325º.

Line 3 (9") round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour paper.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Beat butter at medium speed with your mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until blended. Beat about 8 minutes or until very fluffy, scraping bottom and sides as needed. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla.

Gently fold in butter mix into flour mix, in batches, just until combined. Pour batter into your 3 prepared pans.

Bake at 375º for 30-32 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely (about 1 hour).

Place 1 cake layer on serving plate, spread filling over cake layer and sprinkle with berries and meringue. Repeat with last 2 cake layers and filling.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides. Press crunched up meringue into sides of cake. Top with berries. Chill for at least an hour.

Vanilla Filling

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 c whipping cream

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter (cut up)

1/4 c sour cream

Stir together cornstarch,vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl.

Bring whipping cream, brown sugar, and butter to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Remove from heat, and immediately whisk in cornstarch mixture. Stir in sour cream. Cover and chill at least 8 hours (don't skip this step).

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8oz) pk cream cheese, softened

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened

2 c powdered sugar

1 tbsp cream of coconut

1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium and beat in cream of coconut and vanilla until smooth.

Meringue

3 lg egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 c superfine sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200º and place rack incenter of your oven. Line with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your mixer, whisk the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time. Beat until very stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla extract.

Pipe or spoon onto prepared baking sheet. Bake approximately 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours, rotating baking sheet from front to back (midway through). Turn off oven, crack open oven door and leave in oven to finish drying for several hours or even overnight. Crunch up to press into frosted sides of cake.

Whew!!!
Go join Cole's party @