Pinky..Pinky Strawberry ^_^

My daughter, Annisa asked me to make a pink cake.. Aah.. she was in the good mood for pink color, OK I made pink cake for her , she loves the cake. Until the next day, she wants purple sand for her play-sand's box . Gosh .. she already drove me nut, and I went to several store try to find it, and finally got what she want , She was happy , off course ^_^ When we came back home, she said : "mommy, I want purple door for my room and purple cake too" . Oh NOOOOOOOOO.. !! *and she just turn 3yo ^_^

Fool Proof Sponge Cake

Source : Christopher Kimball's - The Kitchen Detective

Softened unsalted butter for the pans

1/2 cup cake flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Grease two 8-or-9-inch cake pans and cover pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Whisk/sieve the flours, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts.

Take the sauce pan off the heat and add in vanilla extract; keep the mixture covered and warm.

Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer or whisk) and reserving the yolks in a small bowl. Beat the whites on high speed until foamy.

Gradually add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites to soft, moist peaks.

If using a standing mixer transfer the beaten egg whites to a large bowl and add the egg yolks to the standing mixer bowl (you don't need to clean the bowl).

Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is very thick and turns a pale lemon color, about 5 minutes.

Add in the beaten egg whites to the yolks, but do not mix.

Sprinkle/sieve the flour mixture over the egg whites and mix on low speed for 10 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the mixer, make a well in one side of the batter and pour the melted butter mixture into the bowl.

Fold gently with a large rubber spatula until the batter shows no trace of flour and the whites and yolks are evenly mixed, about 8 strokes.

Also make sure that you have incorporated the butter into the mixture.

There should not be visible grease/oil as you pour the mixture into the cake pans.Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake until the cake tops are light brown and feel firm and spring back when touched, about 16 to 18 minutes for 9-inch cake pans and 20 to 22 minutes for 8-inch cake pans.

Cool completely on racks. Run a thin knife around the inside of the cake pans and then invert them onto the racks (or onto cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms) to release the cakes from the pans. Remove the parchment paper.

Strawberry Butter cream Icing

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups butter, cut up
1/4 cup finely diced strawberries, drained
Directions

Directions.
In a saucepan, place the sugar and carefully pour the water around the edge.

Bring to a boil and cook to softball stage (about 235 degrees F.) Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in a mixer with a whip attachment until light and fluffy.

When sugar is at the softball stage, slowly pour it into the bowl down the side and continue whipping, adding vanilla, butter, and strawberries until incorporated and then cooled.

Strawberry White Chocolate Ganache
¼ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
7 oz white chocolate, very finely chopped

Stir chopped strawberries into cream, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight

Strain cream, pressing gently on strawberry to release as much liquid as possible,

Place white chocolate in medium bowl, bring cream to a simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour over white chocolate.

Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cool , cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Ganache can be made 2 days ahead)

Remove ganache from refrigerator. Check consistency , if its smooth and creamy , it can be use right away