What is summer without fresh berries and a light summer cake? Well today we are making a light and airy buttermilk chiffon cake topped with homemade whipped cream and macerated strawberries, what could be better?! A lot of the time cakes are waaayyy too sweet and and topped with inches of buttercream… sometimes it’s nice to bite into a fresh cake and real fruit. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s easier than you think ;). Let’s get baking!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 6 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 cup buttermilk (Don’t have any? Click here for a hack)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp sugar

Topping

• 1 container strawberries
• Cherries or other fruit

1. Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 F. Line 1 large 8″ wide and 3″ deep circle cake pan with parchment on the bottom. Set aside.
2. Separate the eggs and place the whites in a medium bowl, Whip the egg whites until foamy and frothy.
3. Slowly add in 1/2 cup of sugar 1 tbsp at a time to the egg whites. Continue beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
5. Next, mix together your egg yolks, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until fully combined.
6. Add your buttermilk to the egg yolk and oil mixture and gently mix.
7. Next, add in your dry ingredients to the bowl and gently mix on low. Mix until fully incorporated, but do NOT over mix, about 1 minute.
8. Gently fold in your egg whites to the batter with a spatula. Starting on the side and gently folding it over in the middle.
9. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. They will be done when the tops are slightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let the cake cool fully before assembling.
11. While it’s cooling, let’s make the whipped cream! Add your cream to a large bowl and mix until soft peaks form. Next, add in your sugar and vanilla and mix again. Do not over mix the cream, otherwise it could become curdled and not smooth.
12. To macerate the fruit, add it to a medium pot with 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp honey, and 1/4 cup water. Gently stir the fruit over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes until the liquid is syrup-like.
13. Next, add your whipped cream on top of the cake and gently smooth.
14. Use a slotted spoon to place the fruit on top of the whipped cream

Ta-da!