Strawberry Cream Cake

Name: Strawberry Cream Cake
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups, cake flour (5 ounces/142 grams); 1 1/2 teaspoons, baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon, table salt; 1 cup, sugar (7 ounces/198 grams); 5 , large eggs (2 whole and 3 separated), room temperature; 6 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 2 tablespoons, water; 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; 2 pounds (907 grams), fresh strawberries (medium or large, about 2 quarts), washed, dried, and stemmed; 4 - 6 tablespoons, sugar; 2 tablespoons, Kirsch; pinch, table salt; 8 ounces (227 grams), cream cheese, room temperature; 1/2 cup, sugar (3 1/2 ounces/99 grams); 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon, table salt; 2 cups, heavy cream

Desserts or Baked Goods
Fruit
Fruit Desserts
Cakes

Appears in Cook's Illustrated May/June 2006, America's Test Kitchen TV

What could possibly ruin the heavenly trio of cake, cream, and ripe strawberries? How about soggy cake, bland berries, and squishy cream?

SERVES 8 to 10

TIME 1¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling and 1 hour macerating

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