Glazed Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake With Macerated Strawberries Food

BUTTER-TOASTED VANILLA POUND CAKE WITH MACERATED STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, almond extract, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Leave to macerate for 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, swirling to coat the entire pan. Add the pound cake slices and toast until lightly browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pound cake from the pan, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; and toast the pound cake on the reverse side until lightly browned, another 2 to 3 minutes.
• Place the toasted pound cake on plates and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the side of each slice. Top the slices with some of the macerated strawberries and garnish with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan
• In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix for 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla; mix for 1 minute, until well blended. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until completely blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 8 servings

VANILLA BEAN BUNDT CAKE WITH VANILLA GLAZE AND STRAWBERRIES

Steps:

• CAKE.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F Butter and flour standard Bundt pan, then spray pan with nonstick spray. Pour bourbon into small bowl. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into bourbon; stir to blend well (reserve scraped vanilla bean for another use).
• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolk 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in bourbon-vanilla mixture. Add flour mixture in 2 additions alternately with buttermilk in 1 addition, beating just until blended after each addition. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top evenly (batter will come only halfway up sides of pan).
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely.
• GLAZE.
• Whisk powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons milk, and vanilla in small bowl to blend, adding more milk by 1/4 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to drizzle.
• Place sheet of foil on work surface. Place cake (still on rack) atop foil. Using spoon, drizzle glaze over cake in zigzag pattern. Let cake stand at room temperature until glaze sets, about 15 minutes. DO AHEAD Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.
• STRAWBERRIES.
• Toss strawberries and sugar in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Cut cake into wedges and divide among plates. Spoon strawberries with juices alongside and serve.