Who loves a cream cheese-like frosting on cake? Me! Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese that is creamier and richer than the American version. Thyme has a lemony flavor which pairs well with strawberries and the lemon cream. Think strawberry lemonade. I soaked this cake with a thyme-infused simple syrup and topped it with macerated strawberries for my version of the classic strawberry shortcake.
- Yield: 16 servings
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Thyme Syrup
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 fresh thyme bunches
Strawberries
- 3 pounds strawberries, tops removed, quartered
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8” round cake pans and line the inside with parchment.
- In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients.
- Using a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool cakes for at least 10 minutes before cooling on a wire rack.
Thyme Syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and has a syrup-like consistency. Set aside to cool.
- Cut tops of cake evenly to expose the cake crumb. Take a pastry brush and dab the syrup on the cake allowing it to soak into the cake. Let sit for 20 minutes. Cut into cubes.
- Toss strawberries with sugar and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In a mixer, whip mascarpone until creamy. Add cream, sugar and lemon zest and whip until firm and fluffy.
- To assemble the trifle, place half of the cake pieces into the bottom of a trifle dish or large glass bowl. Top with half of the strawberries, then half of the cream. Repeat the layers. Garnish with a few more strawberries and fresh thyme on top. Cover and place in fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
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