A light and energizing appetizer for the hot summer months is grilled polenta rounds, which are crispy on the exterior and tender on the inside.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Additional Time: | 55 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 45 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch layer cake |
Ingredients
- 2 pints fresh strawberries
- 6 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
- 4 drops red food coloring (Optional)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans that are at least 1 1/2 inches high.
- Sprinkle strawberries with sugar in a bowl and let sit for at least 20 minutes, or until juices accumulate.
- Puree strawberries in a blender until smooth and set aside.
- Combine sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add 1 cup strawberry puree, oil, strawberry extract, and food coloring. Mix well. Add flour, gently folding until well mixed. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a serving plate or cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
- Make the frosting while the cakes cool. Combine confectioners’ sugar, butter, heavy cream, 4 tablespoons of strawberry puree, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Whip thoroughly, adding more puree to color and taste as needed.
- Sandwich cake layers with frosting. Cover the top and sides with remaining frosting.
- You can use frozen, thawed strawberries instead of fresh.
- You can use milk instead of heavy cream.
- This can be made into 24 cupcakes instead of a layer cake. Adjust baking time accordingly.
- The strawberry extract and the puree can be tweaked based on flavor preferences. Red dye may be added to give more color without affecting the flavor.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 543 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 81 g |
| Cholesterol | 94 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Sodium | 23 mg |
| Sugars | 63 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Cake didn’t rise. I would recommend adding baking powder to this recipe. Will be preparing buttercream icing and serving it this evening, so I’ll return with an updated comment on how it tastes.