Strawberry Stacks Food

RED ALE AND STRAWBERRY STACK CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper (see Cook's Note).
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Combine the sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon red ale into a small bowl and reserve. Pour the remaining red ale into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the egg and beer mixture over the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is just combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, shaking the pans to distribute the batter evenly, then bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert them onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper. Flip the cakes right-side up again and let cool completely.
• For the frosting and fruit: Meanwhile, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, milk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until lightened and creamy, about 3 minutes. In another bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar and the reserved red ale and refrigerate 15 minutes to 1 hour.
• Place a cake layer on a cake plate, then spread 1 cup of the frosting over the cake with an offset spatula or butter knife. Spoon about a quarter of the strawberries over the frosting, arranging them evenly over the top. Repeat with the second cake layer, another 1 cup frosting and third of the remaining strawberries. Top with the last cake layer and the remaining 1 cup frosting. (If not serving immediately, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
• When ready to serve, pile the remaining strawberries on top of the cake.

STRAWBERRY STACKS

Steps:

• Mix flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, orange peel and salt in medium bowl. Add butter and shortening and rub in, using fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle orange juice over. Stir with fork until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter heavy large baking sheet. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to scant 1/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds, forming 8 total. Transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with cream. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar, dividing equally. Bake cookies until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet on rack.
• Combine quartered strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and Grand Marnier in medium bowl. Beat 1 cup whipping cream, vanilla and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another medium bowl until soft peaks form.
• Place 1 cookie on each of 4 plates. Top cookie with berry mixture, dividing equally and allowing mixture to spill over sides of cookies. Spoon large dollops of whipping cream over. Top each with second cookie. Garnish tops with small dollops of whipped cream and whole strawberries.

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM LAYER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Roll the pastry out to a square about 30 x 30cm. Lay on a large baking sheet, place another sheet on top and bake for about 20 mins until golden. Heat the grill to high, dust the pastry liberally with icing sugar and carefully caramelise under the grill. Dust with another layer of icing sugar and return to the grill to caramelise again. While warm, cut the pastry biscuits into 12 neat rectangles, trimming the edges as you go. These can now be kept in an airtight container for a day.
• Halve or quarter the strawberries, depending on their size, then dust with a little icing sugar and set aside. Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the cream, then whip lightly with the caster sugar until it just holds its shape.
• To assemble, place a blob of cream on each plate and, at jaunty angles, stack the biscuits, cream and strawberries.