Back to Basics: Summer’s must make cake

Summertime often means leaning into lighter meals and using the flourishing ingredients around us, which can even apply to desserts. Often, cakes tend to be overly sweet, highly processed, and too rich to truly enjoy. During summer, I try to use fresh food and to be more conservative with the amount of sugar I’m using. For that reason, this article focuses on one of my favorite light desserts — summery cake. Made from just a few ingredients, this cake is perfectly sweet and screams summer by incorporating whipped cream instead of frosting and highlighting whatever berry you prefer or have around.

All you need for this cake batter are eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, zest from a lemon, cornstarch, and all-purpose flour. Most of us already have all the ingredients at home since they are fairly common and versatile, alleviating the need for cake mixes. Most cake mixes simply combine the dry ingredients, which are easy and fast to assemble. Additionally, cake mixes still require adding ingredients such as eggs and oil. It’s good to keep in mind that cake mixes often include highly processed, unhealthy ingredients since they help make the mix shelf stable. And really, when it comes down to it, there really is no comparison in taste between a cake made from natural ingredients, and one made from a cake mix.

The only part of the cake preparation that requires some skill is separating the eggs — all other steps are fundamental. I always place the egg whites directly into the mixing bowl of my self-standing stand mixer and place the egg yolks into a small mixing bowl for later steps, but you can separate them however is most comfortable to you. Use a hand mixer if you don’t have a self-standing stand mixer. Whip your egg whites on medium to low speed to get some air into them– this is important because whipped egg whites are more robust, slow down the melting process, and perform better during baking.

When the egg whites start foaming, that’s the sign that this process is working. Then increase the speed to high and whip until firm peaks are formed. Watch carefully not to over whip. If you are unsure how long to go, stop the mixer earlier rather than later — this cake will turn out great even without firm peaks.

Place the whipped egg whites into another mixing bowl for later. The mixing bowl that you just used to mix the egg whites will be used for the batter base. There is no need to clean it — the residue of egg whites will have no impact on the next steps. Whip the egg yolks with sugar until a creamy texture is reached — this takes about 3 to 4 minutes. Next, add baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest and process until thoroughly combined.

Pour half to a third of the batter base into the whipped egg whites and gently stir together until combined. Repeating until completely mixed. Splitting this process into two to three parts helps prevent deflating the egg whites. The mixture will partially lose its’ volume, but overall, the consistency should stay nice and fluffy. When combined, slowly sift in cornstarch and flour and gently stir until well combined.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured cake pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until done; this can take 30 to 45 minutes. Perform a toothpick test by poking a toothpick in the center of the cake to check that there is no batter residue on the toothpick. This test is the most straightforward signal that the cake is fully baked. When completely baked, let the cake cool before the next step. To manipulate the cake, use a spring pan that allows you to remove the sides, and then use a knife to release the bottom of the cake by separating the cake from the pan if needed more easily.

While the cake is baking, prepare the preserve. Using blueberries makes the process easy since they are rich in pectin, which naturally thickens the preserve. So, all you really need, apart from blueberries, is sugar, water, and about seven minutes of your time.

Cook the blueberries with a bit of water, briefly process with an immersion blender, add sugar, and cook until it thickens. That’s all there is to it. The steps with strawberries and other fruit are similar, but you may need to add pectin or extend the cooking time to reduce the liquid. If you make your own, you will find out that it is worth it. But you can, of course, buy a preserve at the store and save yourself some time.

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When the cake is cooled, or at least partially cooled, prepare the easy whipped cream by whipping cream until it turns fluffy and does not have a liquid texture. Then add powdered sugar and cream of tartar and process until done. I like to add just a little bit of sugar to get a sweet undertone, but I am careful not to add very much since the cake, preserves and fruit is sweet. Feel free to add more than the recipe calls for if you wish. Cream of tartar prevents the cream from melting and thickens the cream after some time in the refrigerator. After whipping, place into a pastry bag with a large pastry tip. Use the pastry tip of your choice; do not use any with fine details — they will not show, and it may make the final product look like a mistake. You can skip using pastry tips, but it helps create a better looking cake.

Divide the cake into two even halves using a large knife or cake cutter. Spread the blueberry preserve on the bottom half the cake. Next, apply about half the whipped cream, and place about half a pound of blueberries on top of the cream. How you use the whipped cream is up to you, but I prefer to pipe out whipped cream in a similar manner as I would the outside of the cake, even though this layer will be covered up with the top. The whipped cream peaks allow the fruit to evenly distribute throughout the layer. It also allows you to practice your piping skills before you have to pipe out the whipped cream onto the top of the cake.

Cover the cake with the top half and then coat the top of the cake with a fine layer of cream. It is best to pipe some whipped cream out and then spread it with a knife or an offset spatula. Then decorate the top diameter with whipped cream and place the remaining blueberries on top to cover the top of the cake.

For best results, let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. It will make the cream thicker for easy slicing.

The cake needs to be refrigerated and can be served for up to seven days. Freezing the cake is not recommended.

Enjoy your meal!

Tom Slepicka is the founder of www.cookinghub.com, and is a recipe creator, culinary instructor, chef, and a consultant. You can reach him at tom@cookinghub.com.

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