This easy, elegant springtime dessert features rich, tender sponge cake filled with a light strawberry mousse. For extra pizzazz, make a Mary Ann-style cake (pictured at right) using our Charlotte Cake Pan; to use an alternate pan, see directions in “tips,” below.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a Charlotte Cake Pan.
To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and lemon yellow-colored (ribbon stage), about 3 minutes.
Beat in the olive oil and almond extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, dry milk, salt, and baking powder. Add to the egg mixture alternately with the water, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth; pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly touched and the edges just begin to pull away from the pan.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely upside down on a rack. Before turning out (right side up) onto a serving plate, loosen the edges with a flexible thin spatula or table knife.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, 1/4 cup (28g) of the confectioners’ sugar, and the strawberry purée. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 teaspoons Instant ClearJel with 1/4 cup (28g) of the confectioners’ sugar and add to the sour cream and strawberry purée.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup (28g) confectioners’ sugar and 1/2 teaspoon Instant ClearJel.
In another bowl, beat the heavy cream with the vanilla until medium peaks form. Add the confectioners’ sugar/ClearJel mixture and beat just until incorporated; the cream will stiffen.
Set aside 1/2 cup of the whipped cream for garnishing the top of the cake, then fold the rest into the strawberry mixture.
To assemble the cake: Spread the strawberry preserves inside the well of the finished cake in an even layer, then spread the filling over the preserves. Garnish with the reserved whipped cream and the fresh berries.
The cake is best served the same day it’s made. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a day or so.
To make the cake without a Charlotte pan: Grease and line two 8” round cake pans with parchment. Divide the batter between the pans, using about 305g in each. Bake the cakes for 35 minutes, remove them from the oven, cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and top with the preserves and filling as directed. Place the second layer on top and garnish with the reserved whipped cream and fresh berries.
