Strawberry & Vanilla Chantilly Cake

Servings: 8-10

For the Vanilla Chantilly:

• 2 1/2 cups Cake Flour, or All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
• 5 large Egg Whites, room temperature
• 3/4 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil, or 3/4 cup melted Butter
• 2 tsp. Almond Extract

For the Strawberry Filling:

• 1 cup Fresh Strawberries, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. Granulate Cane Sugar

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar
• 3 tbsp. Heavy Cream, or Whole Milk
• 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 cup Strawberry Jam, or fresh strawberries blended

For the Vanilla Chantilly Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease and line with parchment paper three 6-inch cake pans. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg whites. Beat with 1/4 cup of the sugar until stiff peaks.
3. In the meantime, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar together in a separate bowl until well combined.
4. Create a well in the center of the bowl. Add the olive oil, milk, and almond extract. Fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.
5. Add in half of the whipped egg whites, folding with the spatula until well-combined. Add the remaining egg whites to fold in. It's okay if there are a few tiny bumps in the otherwise smooth batter.
6. Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Strawberry Filling:

1. In a medium sized bowl, toss together the chopped strawberries and sugar. Set aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

1. Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium high speed until smooth.
2. Add in half of the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and well combined.
3. Add in the strawberries, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until combined.
4. Gradually add in the remaining powdered sugar, beating until the frosting in light and fluffy.

To Assemble the Cake:

1. Frost the first layer of cake with 1/2 cup strawberry buttercream, then use a spoon to make a little "barrier" on the edges of the cake layer. Using a slotted spoon to keep from scooping up the strawberry juices, add a generous scoop of the strawberry filling into the center. Add the second cake layer and repeat. Frost the cake with the remaining strawberry buttercream. Decorate with freshly sliced strawberries on top. Enjoy!