strawberry and lemon cream trifle

I swear produce has it out for me. I’ve changed from super market to super market to farmers market to bigger, fancier, shinier super market in a quest to find some decent produce. What I’ve found: packaged moldy tomatoes, asparagus that has lost it’s freshness in place of hardness and woodiness, and strawberries that are so bruised or so moldy I am astonished such horrors are allowed to be sold. I feel like yelling at the produce stockers “It’s strawberry season! Why do the strawberries look like December strawberries?!” Yet people rush past me to pick up those extra bruised strawberries and I walk away with extra disappointment.

I have searched high and low, going to the supermarket almost every day to check the new produce only to be rejected again and again. I finally thought I had something going for me when I found beautiful, flawless bright red strawberries at a local Whole Foods, only to get them home and, the next day, find a big patch of fuzzy gray mold. I chucked the entire batch, dropping my shoulders and joining the other produce prom rejects in the corner of the gym.

In a final act of desperation, I traveled miles to another, even bigger, shinier, fancier, better-than-my-wildest supermarket-dreams Whole Foods. Finally people! I landed on the Freddie Prinze Jr. of strawberries! They were so juicy and fresh that slicing into them felt like slicing into butter.

I’ve made this trifle twice now, once with traditional custard and once with lemon whipped cream. The lemon cream won hands down. It beat out the custard as a lighter, more flavorful filling being neither too sweet nor too lemony. We especially liked the cream because it did not overwhelm the strawberries we invested so much time finding.

Strawberry and Lemon Cream Trifle

Serves 4

Sponge Cake:
Adapted from Ready for Dessert

5 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 /4 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of a lemon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 12×18 sheet pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg yolks and cold water on high speed for 1 minute. Decrease the speed to medium and add the sugar and vanilla then increase speed back to high. Continue to whip, occasionally scraping down the bowl and making sure the bottom is mixed thoroughly into the batter as needed. Whip until mixture forms a ribbon when the whisk is lifted, about 5 minutes. Pour batter into a large bowl and set aside. Thoroughly wash bowl and whisk and dry.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together over the beaten egg yolks. Gently fold in the flour until completely incorporated.

In the clean bowl, whip together the egg whites and zest on high speed until they form stiff peaks. Fold in one-third of the whites into the yolk batter to lighten the mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Pour batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread into an even layer. “Drop” or “Bang” the pan on the counter, releasing any air bubbles. Bake until the cake is lightly browned and the center springs back when gently pressed (it will be sticky!) about 10 – 15 minutes.

Let cake cool in the pan. Invert onto a cutting board and cut to appropriate size.

Lemon Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted (add more if you like it sweeter)
1 1/2teaspoons lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip the cream, sugar, lemon extract and vanilla extract until it holds soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly:

1 cup strawberries, sliced

Take cake and place in bottom of 4 serving dishes or bowls. Add a layer of cream and top with strawberries. Repeat until dishes are full.

Chill for 4 hours. Serve.