Simplest Strawberry Shortcake

You can also prepare this cake in individual muffin pans for strawberry minis, a beautiful dessert. It cuts the baking time to 12 to 15 minutes.

Cake
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon vanilla sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Sauce
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen strawberries, partially defrosted
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar

For Assembly
16 ounces nondairy whipped topping
1 container strawberries, washed and checked, thinly sliced (orpremium frozen strawberries, sliced)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 2  9-inch round pans by spraying them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs for 10 consecutive minutes on high speed. This will give them a real lightness; it will be hard to believe you didn’t separate them.
3. Once the eggs are fluffy, add sugar, vanilla sugar, flour, and baking powder.  Mix until combined.
4. Pour into prepared baking pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check doneness with toothpick before removing from oven.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the strawberry sauce: In the food processor, using the S blade, combine partially defrosted strawberries, water, lemon juice, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Blend until smooth.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat nondairy whipped topping until stiff.
7. To assemble: Make sure the cake is fully cooled. On top of one cake, add a thick layer of whipped cream, a layer of sliced strawberries, then another layer of cake, another layer of cream, and more sliced strawberries.
8. Pour strawberry sauce over cake when serving, either right before cutting or as you serve each individual piece. A delicious show-stopper!

 

Yield: 8 to 10 servings