Strawberry Summer Stack Cake

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by greasing them with nonstick spray or butter and lining the bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Mix Cake Ingredients

In a large bowl, beat together the unsalted butter, 1½ cups of sugar, and kosher salt until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the large eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined. Pour in the milk slowly as you continue to mix.

3. Add Dry Ingredients

Sprinkle in the baking powder and beat the mixture for about 10 seconds. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, mixing until you have a smooth batter.

4. Arrange Strawberries and Bake

Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Arrange the halved strawberries on top, cut side down, and sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. Cool Cakes

Once baked, let the cake layers cool in their pans for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

6. Whip Cream for Assembly

Whip the heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar, sour cream or crème fraîche, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

7. Assemble and Serve

Layer the cakes with the whipped cream mixture. Let the cake rest in the fridge for a while before serving.