Whipped Cream Cake

Here's my submission for this week's Heavenly Cake Bakers baking group - the Whipped Cream Cake from Rose's Heavenly Cakes.

I have to confess - I flubbed this recipe straight out of the gate. Not having read the recipe directions very carefully, I accidentally added the vanilla extract and slightly beaten eggs to the heavy cream before I whipped the cream. If I hadn't beaten the eggs I might have been able to separate them from the cream, but I had to stick a fork in there and give it a whirl. Sigh.

Not wanting to throw away 1 1/2 cups of cream, I decided to proceed with the recipe. The cream/egg combo took a bit longer to whip, but it eventually did... although I suspect the final volume suffered a bit.


I sprayed my pan well with Baker's Joy, which enabled the finished cake to release from the pan perfectly.

This recipe was an absolute breeze to put together. I baked the cake in a Bundt pan with a dark finish, so I lowered the baking temp by 25F as suggested by Rose. The finished baking time was exactly 30 minutes.

I served the cake with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, a spoonful of Meyer lemon curd, and a drizzle of raspberry puree, but it's also delicious served with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Whipped Cream Cake (courtesy of Amazon.com)
makes one 10-inch bund cake

"This unusual old-time recipe was sent to me by chef Anthony Stella, a restaurateur in Delaware, who asked if I could perform a makeover on it. What intrigued both of us about the recipe was that at first glace it seemed to contain no butter or oil. But on closer analysis, I discovered that the butterfat contained in the cream was more than equal to the usual amount of butter added. My makeover involved a nip and tuck, decreasing the sugar and baking powder and increasing the salt to compensate for the saltiness previously provided by a higher amount of baking powder. I also increased the overall yield by one and a half times and baked the cake in a fluted tube pan to give it an attractive appearance and more center support. The result is a perfectly even and exceptionally moist and tender cake."
-Rose Levy Beranbaum

Batter Ingredients
Cake Flour or bleached all-purpose flour, sifted (2 1/4 cups/8 ounces/225 grams)
Baking powder (2 teaspoons)
Salt (3/4 teaspoon)
Heavy cream, cold (1 1/2 cups/12.3 ounces/348 grams)
3 large eggs, at room temperature (1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons/5.3 ounces/150 grams)
Pure vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
Superfine sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/8 ounces/225 grams)

Place oven rack in lower third and preheat oven to 375F; prepare a 10-inch bundt pan with an oil/flour baking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whip attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla just until lightly combined. On medium-high speed, gradually beat the egg mixture into the whipped cream. The mixture will thicken into a mayonnaise consistency (unless high-butterfat cream is used). Gradually beat in the sugar. It should take about 30 seconds to incorporate it.

Add half the flour mixture to the cream mixture and, with a large silicone spatula, stir and fold in the flour until most of it disappears. Add the rest of the flour mixture and continue folding and mixing until all traces of flour have disappeared. Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepped  pan. Run a small metal spatula or dull knife blade through the batter to prevent large air bubbles, avoiding the bottom of the pan. Smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean.  The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. With a small metal spatula, loosen the top edges of the cake and invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely. The cake requires no adornment, but I love to serve it with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a large dollop of lightly sweetened Whipped Cream (page 115).
Notes: Do not chill the bowl and beaters for the heavy cream because the eggs will not emulsify as readily if the whipped cream is too cold.

High-butterfat (40 percent) heavy cream produces a finer, more tender crumb. This cream is generally available only to bakeries and restaurants, but it is certainly worth asking your local baker to sell you a container.

Easy Meyer Lemon Curd - this recipe uses whole eggs

Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup freshly squeezed juice from 3-4 small Meyer lemons
1/2 cup white granulated sugar (3/4 cup if using regular lemons)
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons finely grated zest (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pan over med to med-high heat. Whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture starts to thicken - about 5 minutes. The temperature should reach 160F. Strain through a sieve to remove zest and cooked egg bits. Serve warm or refrigerate for later use. Warm curd is pourable. Cold curd is thickens to a spreadable consistency.

Note: If you don't have a heavy bottomed sauce pan, you can cook the curd in a heat-proof glass or stainless steel bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. Proceed as directed above.