Strawberry Shortcake - A La Jen

This Blog post is dedicated to Sweet Amy who forced me to lay aside my laxidazial cooking style long enough to actually remember and write down the "recipe" for my newest cake creation.

Of course I was "Flying by the seat of

my pants" on this one, adding and mixing ingredients at whim....therefore, I make no promises that this is EXACTLY what I did.

Then again, none of you tasted the original...(unless I work with you and did not know you were following my Blog)...the rest of you will never know the differences should there be any.

Amy, the future guests of my "One

Day Tea House" may very well need to thank you for forcing me to follow the conventions of baking and document this really yummy cake.

Enjoy...and Happy Canada Day Amy (and guests)!

Cake

1 white cake mix

1 tsp B. Powder

1 tsp Pure vanilla

1/2 tsp butter flavoring.

3 eggs

1 1/4 C. water

1/3 C. veg. oil

Add the B. powder to the dry cake mix and stir. Add the rest of the ingred. and mix according to pkg.

Cook in 2- 8" or 9" round pans as directed on pkg.

White Mousse

1 cup white chocolate
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream1 tsp vanilla

Heat water in saucepan, with sugar, until sugar is dissolved. Add chocolate and melt until smooth. Set saucepan in cold water to cool mixture. Place in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. Whisk smooth. Beat cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into cold chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Whipping Cream

Pour 500 ml. of whipping cream into bowl and begin mixing on low speed. Slowly increase speed as Cream begins to thicken. When soft peaks form add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/4C. icing sugar. (icing sugar is fine so incorporates more thoroughly, it also contains corn starch which helps stabilize the whipped cream).

Continue beating until very stiff peaks form. Watch carefully, you want it as stiff as possible without the cream starting to separate. Scrape down the bowl periodically. If you are unsure about the consistency stop the mixer and give it a stir. Always better to check it often than to over mix....unless you want sweet butter of course!

To Assemble

Place one layer of cake on serving plate. Arrange thinly sliced berries over the entire surface. Cover with White Mousse. Gently add second cake layer. Frost the entire cake with whipped cream smoothing the sides as much as possible. Arrange sliced strawberries (points out) in a circular pattern beginning about 1" from edge of cake. Fill top of cakes with over lapping circles of Strawberries.

Add a few more TLBS icing sugar to remaining whipped cream. Stir in and use piping bag and star tip to pipe borders around top and bottom edge of cake.

Arrange thin slices of Strawberries around sides of cake.

Store in refrigerator.