Whipped Cream Layer Cake with Blue-Sea Cream Cheese Frosting

... decorated with the idea about blue sea, white sand, sea shells, and a bottle containing a heartful letter, send from a daughter oversea to her father on his birthday.


Tomorrow, Nov. 28 is my Papa's Birthday. I cannot be next to him to celebrate his birthday, therefore, I make a birthday cake for him and hope that he will be happy to see it tonight through the webcam. Searching over the fridge, I could not find any milk and butter left. The only things I found was a 16-oz box of heavy whipping cream and 3 eggs. Poor me hix hix... Fortunately, I found this wonderful recipe from one of my favorite cookbook, The Modern Baker, which is also a birthday give from my lovely sis. According to Nick, the writer of the book, "I've been fascinated by this cake recipe, which derives some of its tenderness and lightness from the butterfat and air in whipped cream." I decided to try this new recipe, which does not require any butter and milk. The result is: I love it so much! And I bet that my Papa will love it too. Great!





Adapted from "The Modern Baker" by Nick Malgieri
Makes one 9-inch (23cm) 2-layer cake, about 12 servings

Ingredients:
Whipped Cream Cake Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup sugar, divided into 1/4 and 3/4
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Blue Sea Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 8-oz pack of low fat cream cheese,at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup caster sugar (powder sugar)
4 drops of blue food color

Direction:
1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F or 180C
2. For the cake batter, combine the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl and stir well to mix.
3. Put the cream and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk by hand until thickened and stiff. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk in the flour mixture in 3 separate additions, whisking smooth after each addition.
4. Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake the layers until they are well risen, deep golden, and firm int he center when pressed with a fingertip, 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Cool the layers in the pans on rack for 5 minutes, unmold them, and cool them right side up on the racks

6. While the layers are baking, prepare the Blue Sea Cream Cheese Frosting as following:
Combine the cream cheese with caster sugar in a large bowl and mix well to combine, using a spatula
7. Whip the heavy cream until soft peak forms. Then add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture, followed by 2 drops of food color. Fold gently to mix. Then add the other 2 drops of color and fold more to mix well and attain the desired color. Refrigerate the cream cheese frosting until apply to the cake

8. Assemble: Spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of 1 cake layer. Then, place the other layer on top an spread the rest of the cream cheese to cover the whole surface and edge of the cake. Decorate with almond and strawberry ganache.