The Ultimate Strawberry Layer Cake With Claire Saffitz | Dessert Person

[@CSaffitz]

What are you making for dessert this week?

[@laurenschenck5355]

Coconut cake 🍰 😍

[@CSaffitz]

@@laurenschenck5355 Great Answer :)

[@laurenschenck5355]

@@CSaffitz Thanks Claire 😍

[@lisaweaver3291]

Grilled nectarines with blueberries and a lemon curd sauce

[@joanchiu7360]

Just made this dessert the other day. Sooo good!

[@danielle9074]

This cake has a special place in my heart. I made it for my birthday in 2021 when I was deep in my love affair with Dessert Person, and determined not to have another mediocre pandemic birthday. It was perfect if you're somebody like me who has an April birthday but wants to pretend it's summer. Also, spending an afternoon making myself a cake was an ideal way to spend my birthday. Why would I delegate the most exciting part of the day to somebody else? lol

[@claudia-it3gn]

"It was perfect if you're somebody like me who has an April birthday but wants to pretend it's summer." is such an eloquent review, haha! Love it!

[@shizzl0rable]

Claire, I’m not a dessert person. That is why, when from time to time the family confuses cooking skill with baking skill, I rely on you. I have to say you always have something extra but it’s never over the top, just a product that oozes love and care! Thank you for your perspective and always being there for me 😍

[@Looptydude]

So jealous of the crew, they get to work filming Claire being her best, and I am sure get to taste all those delightful treats. That cake has me drooling.

[@amberlindsey7112]

I was thinking how jealous I was of the crew when she made the lemon bars lol.

[@JVan-yd3zz]

The thumbnail looks so gorgeous and delicious. This seems like a good project I should do with younger kids. Bake and prep the ingredients then assemble together. Can't wait to try.

[@marcelamagana7824]

I tried this recipe back in April, it’s become a family favorite, the addition of the lemon zest to the sugar and the cornmeal as well elevate this cake to a whole new level! Way better than shortcake, I’ve done it a few times now, it never looses it’s magic ✨ love the recipe Claire 💕

[@nylorij-Lori]

This looks delicious. Reminds me of Victoria Sandwich, a British cake similar to this cake. Since I live alone, I’m thinking of making miniature versions of the cake in a muffin tin. That way I can slice the mini-cake, and fill & top it for a personal serving so I don’t have to worry about the rest of the cake going to waste as it only lasts about a day once it’s constructed. I’m loving your kitchen, Claire!

[@neshacruz6574]

That would be super cute! My auntie used to do something similar but with puff pastry and it was so delicious 🤍

[@nataliesoutlet]

This looks INCREDIBLE!

[@dwaynezilla]

I like that it's not overly sugared. That's a quick way to kill my desire to eat a thing. This looks _really_ good. Very summery.

[@AOTSismyhero]

Made this for my wife's birthday last year! The fresh strawberries from the farmers market I got truly made this amazing.

[@lovisaherber]

You should try to make the swedish summer cake "herrgårdstårta"!! It's just like this layer cake but with meringue as well!!

[@musikluver]

Love me a meringue! Imma look this up!

[@bethanyjackson7400]

Or a Swedish princess cake!

[@bethanyjackson7400]

Or a Swedish princess cake!

[@amandahodgin9316]

That sounds amazing!

[@purplemusic4768]

@@bethanyjackson7400 l

[@gogo_crunchy8926]

Just got Dessert Person yesterday for my Birthday and I couldn’t be happier! I love how you teach and how the recipes are so easy regarding ingredients and measurements and they always turn out SO good. Me and my mom have become such big fans of your fantastic work and you as a person!

[@annleong7363]

I love the tip about hand mixing the lemon zest together with the sugar and hydrating the cornmeal. Great techniques! I always learn something new from you, Claire! Your cookbook is a hit in my house!

[@janehowe25]

This recipe is the best i’ve ever seen. Claire. This takes the cake. The new dessert of summer. Sending to my mom ASAP so that she can make it this sunday!

[@maz_uwu]

Made this for my wife this weekend on a whim. Didn't have buttermilk so substituted with greek yogurt and some extra milk. Worked well. It's one of her all time favorites

[@deliabottoms285]

Claire, I so enjoyed watching this video! I love Strawberry Shortcake and watching you make this reminded me of a dear friend in Germany. We went to visit her during the summer of 2011. During our stay, her and her husband planned a barbecue with the family which included their three kids, their spouses and the grandkids. I watched her make a 12 in vanilla sponge cake from scratch, and then she split it like you did. She had made a strawberry rhubarb filling and she used it in between the layers along with a layer of whipped cream and then she put whipped cream on top. It was so simple so delicious, the perfect summer dessert. She obviously knew her kids, because that cake was devoured! I love your tips on how to score the cake before splitting the layer, and using the strawberries the support in between. Great idea! I always learn something when I watch one of your demos. Never stop baking Claire!

[@kittya682]

Hi Claire, I hope you are as happy making these videos as I am watching them! Thank you for sharing your beautiful baking with us x

[@bethwalker355]

Wow! Looks amazing - like everything you make. I love your way because you reach down to all the worries of the person. You don't just hand out an unaware recipe. You are a gorgeous lady. And thank you. I hope you know how appreciated your song is.

[@richardpatterson432]

I would love to make this with mango! You always brighten up my day.

[@LasBellaRosas]

This could not come at a better time, when I have 1.5 containers of over ripened strawberries and blueberries in the fridge! Love you

[@chanelperreault7580]

Claire!!! I made this for my first ever post (deep) pandemic summer party. It was so fun to make and feel fancy and serve and make people happy. Thank you!!

[@laurenmarie7166]

just made your chocolate eclairs the other day, and they were the best thing i’ve ever baked! can’t wait to try more recipes and hopefully buy Dessert Person one day

[@jillhoppenjans1265]

I made this last summer for the first time and it was amazing! Initially, I wasn’t too sure about a cornmeal cake, but I actually loved it. It was so lemony and fresh! I’ve made it twice since. In this video, she didn’t use as many berries as I think the recipe calls for: mine seemed to have more. So good!

[@kathynguyen5024]

Amen to whipped cream when I eat pumpkin pie I eat it with 2 cups of whipped cream. It’s wonderful

[@Joy-wg9nd]

This looks like the quintessential "summer" dessert. I'm going to also try it with peaches. Can't wait. 😊

[@Driftwoodbaby]

the verdicts are always amazing... mmm...

[@annlanta]

love the editing and vinny comments. the handsome lemon may have been my fav part.

[@ccdipao]

This was a hit at my grandma's 85th birthday. Delicious!!!

[@augustinecabrera5270]

This cake looks amazing! Love the Big Bud Press Apron!!! X

[@ronjakh]

This is more like scandinavian cakes. In Norway we would cover it completely with cream and put the strawberries on top of that. Using vanilla custard instead of regular whipped cream for the filling is also a great idea! 😋 Buttercream, meringue and fondant etc is very rare to see on our cakes

[@messecshinies9037]

I’ll have to try hydrating the corn meal next time I bake with it! Never thought of that but it makes total sense.

[@amandakelley1331]

Bread and butter sandwiches were my favorite lunchbox item my mom gave me (that or peanut butter and butter)....and whipped cream is literally the best thing on planet earth.

[@wasabibottomboys1623]

Thank you Claire for being more accommodating of us non-stand-mixer-havers

[@CassBlast5]

I made this yesterday for a dinner party and it turned out delicious! I love that it's not very sweet; the berries really shine. The cornmeal cake is brilliant. I didn't manage assembly without cracking the top so it wasn't as pretty as Claire's but it made up for it by tasting great!

[@ella6741]

I love you Claire. You truly are my comfort person

[@dwaynezilla]

whipped cream + cake + strawberries is a legendary combo

[@cgwami]

I’ve already made this cake twice this summer and plan to make it once more before strawberry season ends. I adjust the whipped cream topping by replacing half the heavy cream with mascarpone, which is just taken from Claire’s NY Times strawberry sponge cake recipe.

[@drag0nzownu]

my dad made this this past weekend and it was INCREDIBLE! he added mascarpone to the cream and it was delicious; he's probably going to try it with blackberries next

[@rumbleinthekitchen_Amy]

I just found a crazy good deal on blackberries so I have a bunch in the fridge. Now I know what to make!

[@dangerbirb4981]

I made this and the cake body came out amazing. Grinding the sugar into the zest made a huge difference -- the lemon flavor really came through! I will say that, as a person who loves sugar, the plain whipped cream was too bland. I think next time I will add sugar to the whip and also a little strawberry juice. My strawberries were almost overripe (store bought) and I actually think less ripe strawberries would be better if you can't eat the cake all in 1 day. By day 2, the strawberries had become a little mushy. My SO also has a preference for tart flavors, so if you're into that don't use super ripe berries. That's if you're doing store bought, if you're picking your own then do whatever you want because you cannot go wrong. I will make this again for the cake body alone because even without the cream it is a phenomenal cake. Thank you Claire!

[@katinanawrocki4676]

I made this for 4th of July. Everyone loved it! I added about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the whipping cream to sweeten it a little and was glad that I did. Clair mentioned that this cake is hard to cut because of the strawberries on top so I cut the cake before adding the strawberries to the top layer. It was nice having the cake cut already so was able to easily and quickly give everyone a slice at the park and I didn’t have to worry about bringing a knife to our gathering.

[@MarsMountain]

The version I grew up with in Sweden has at least three layers of sponge cake, drizzled with strong strawberry lemonade. Filling can contain optional strawberry jam and vanilla custard as well. Let sit until next day and then cover the whole cake (sides also) with whipped cream and lots of fresh berries before serving. It makes a more dense but incredibly moist cake.

[@felipest6926]

please share recipe I need to try it

[@lisaa8795]

What a lovely idea! Thanks for sharing it with us, Clare. Especially appreciate the tip about the zest and sugar, will have to try that.

[@maryconaty2452]

Who knew stress eating whipped cream after service was a universal experience hahahha

[@toadstoolnews]

My favorite from the book! Simple, delicious, summer-y! All the people at the bar I work at were begging me to make it again this year when I brought it last year

[@erinvenard5761]

Just made this a few days ago! Loved the cornmeal crunch. Glad to see I followed all the steps correctly :)

[@fabioamiralian5370]

Ultimate Strawberry Layer Cake Special Equipment: 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch cake pan with 2-inch sides stand mixer CORNMEAL CAKE: Butter for the pan 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (2.6 oz / 75g) 1 cup buttermilk (8.5 oz / 250g) at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (7 oz / 200g) 1 tablespoon baking powder (0.42 oz/ 12g) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3/4 cup sugar (5.3 oz / 150g) 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (5 oz / 142g), at room temperature 2 large eggs (3.5 oz / 100g), at room temperature MACERATED BERRIES 1 1/2 pounds (681g) strawberries, hulled (about 4 cups) 1/4 cup sugar (1.8 oz / 50g) 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 cups heavy cream (16 oz/ 454g) Hydrate the cornmeal by mixing it with the buttermilk, which helps to soften the cornmeal. Add the vanilla, allow to hydrate while you assemble all the other ingredients. Grease the cake pans really well all around the bottom and sides. Press a parchment round into the bottom, smooth it to eliminate air bubbles, then brush it with whatever butter is left on the brush. This will make it very easy to turn the cake out. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar to a new bowl, finely zest the lemon into the sugar. Before you cream the butter and sugar together, massage the zest and the sugar together with your fingertips. Add 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cream on low just until everything's combined and then increase the speed. Beat it until it's really light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. You want it to emulsify and stay light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, add the flower mixture in three additions, alternating the buttermilk mixture in two additions, mixing on low until the butter is smooth and homogenous before the next addition. Do the last bit of mixing by hand with a spatula, making sure to get at the bottom where there might be some unincorporated buttery areas. Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing it to make sure there's no air pockets. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before assembly. Choose 5 large, hulled berries, to be placed cut-side down as columns for structural support between the layers. Slice the remaining berries, add the lemon juice and quarter cup sugar, toss to coat. Slice the cake into two layers-this can be done easier by placing toothpicks into the side all around and using them as a guide to cut. Whip the cream in a large bowl, increasing speed as it thickens, until somewhere between a medium and firm texture, moving but still holding its shape. Place the support strawberries, four around the edge and one in the middle, then a layer of about half of the macerated berry slices, allowing juices to moisten the bottom layer. Add a layer of whipped cream, top with the top cake layer, then place remaining whipped cream on top and top with remaining berry slices. Pour remaining maceration juices over the top. ------ Had to type out the recipe, figured I'd share it.

[@sallyngai1012]

Spuddy is so cute!!!!! 🐈‍⬛

[@amberlindsey7112]

I prefer a soft cake for strawberry shortcake over the biscuit like shortcakes that get used. If I am in the mood, then I will make a pound cake or angel food cake for it.

[@hapacooks]

What’s super interesting about this cake is it oddly gets better with each day?? I actually thought it was most delicious in its third day vs freshly baked! The strawberry syrup has soaked through thoroughly whereas the first day, the cake tasted closer to corn bread

[@erinbailey4631]

This is the first thing I made when I bought Dessert Person ❤️ mine certainly wasn’t as pretty (I didn’t whip the cream long enough because I’m impatient 🤦🏻‍♀️) but it was soooo good!

[@kathrynwaggenspack7945]

I baked this last weekend! It was SOOOO good

[@colettearmstrong1484]

I totally paused at 00.17 trying to see what cookbooks were on the shelf. I would loooooove to know your Mt Rushmore Chefs/favorite cookbooks (besides Dessert Person which is already my fave :) )

[@beckiehermans6639]

Always love seeing Big Bug Press sneaking its way in 🍄🌈

[@Piglet8802]

Cake looks utterly divine, and I loveeee the apron!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@MIn-lp8xp]

The texture of this cake sheet is just amazing ! So unique ✨ Thank you Claire 🥰

[@laurenschenck5355]

You make the most beautiful things that sparkle and make the world shine with happiness 🥰

[@NRam-ke6cs]

Both claire and her cake had me drooling

[@mlum]

Making this for my boyfriends birthday. It's just the two of us so I'll be putting it into muffin pans and serving like a trifle. Very excited!

[@shelly5224]

Wow a couple weeks ago was the first time I'd heard of cornmeal cake. I made it but with lots of orange juice and it was delicious, so I'll try this without the strawberries because they don't grow here.

[@TheAChristineS]

Whipped cream is also my favorite food ♥️

[@laurastanton468]

This cake is delicious! Made it last night and we devoured it - love the addition of corn meal into the batter.

[@twistedkitty1958]

Looks so delicious! Love the apron. 💗

[@melissaanderson3238]

Love your apron!

[@michalsamel1769]

Love the new apron!!

[@shadowperson0456]

This looks like fun!

[@kimw.7366]

Stunning! Love the stilts...genius! Thank you Claire

[@karenb8200]

Great video! This is very similar to a dessert my mom makes with store bought pound cake, cool whip, strawberries, and blueberries. Berries and cream is a very customizable combination!

[@wanderer1615]

Amazing! Would someone please explain the purpose of the cornmeal? Could it be omitted and replaced with regular flour? What does it do? Thanks 🤗

[@Heytaylorj]

Made this last night - really good! Would personally recommend taking 50% of the sugar from the strawberries and adding it to the whipped cream. Agree with Claire's thought process that the cake and strawberries have enough sugar for the whipped cream to be sugar-less, but found that when you got a bit of a mouthful of unsweetened whipped cream it was a little off putting. Overall great recipe though!

[@maureennochannel]

I'm thinking that cornmeal is going to give the cake a nice crystally crunch and I'm totally here for it.

[@wellhello795]

Love the apron!

[@jonathancoltman]

Claire’s hairstyle today is tops. She’s a superstar ✨⭐️

[@cindyr5423]

I made this cake last weekend! The cake was nice but extremely tender- was falling apart when I cut it in half. Ended up making a trifle instead. I used a fine cornmeal on hand-not sure if contributed

[@moochduo5285]

Loved Spuddy getting all the under chin scritches at the end! Thank you Claire for this recipe! I have not had a failure with any of your recipes: I think that's because you teach the logic and reason behind each step.

[@tati.l.]

love cornmeal, love strawberries, what's not to love about this recipe? Definitely making it (if I can find good strawberries, that is, otherwise I will have to wait until Spring.)

[@apicard06]

I feel the same way about our peach season in South Carolina :) They are so wonderful and ripe/nearly overripe that I question myself on whether to bake them or just have them fresh :)

[@tristinbothwell8955]

I made this as soon as I got the book. WHO NEW CORNBREAD COULD BE CAKE!!! It's so good lol

[@MeKsTeR330]

I made mini versions of this recipe a few months back and it tasted so good! Definitely plan on making it again but in its full size!

[@Pyrocario]

I made this for my Mum for Mother's Day! So good!

[@cynhanrahan4012]

Oooooh, cornmeal, I never considered that. But I can see how it would add great texture and flavor. On my to do list, even though we're way past our FL peak strawberry season.

[@LaLaLaAllDayLong]

Love the show so much!!! Our generation’s Ina

[@meme9272]

I love Ina but not as much as Claire 😊

[@rggiii5089]

I made the sponge cake version that Xlaire shared in NYT Cooking last year but I think this is easier and will have a more interesting texture because of the cornmeal. Can't wait to try this. However I may have to swap strawberries with ripe mangoes because Mangoes are the best here in the Philippines and the strawberries here are either just sour or flavorless.

[@unit--ns8jh]

This sounds like something my mom would love, she's all about light summery fruit desserts :)

[@jamesktucker979]

I am excited to try a new version of cake with my strawberry dessert(s).

[@sophiapagano4809]

Made this cake as the first recipie I tried out of dessert person, I made mine with blueberries as well as strawberries. Wish I would have thought of some of the layer transporting tricks, I just ended up yelling at it to stay in one piece. Lovely tutorial as always! ♥️

[@Dignorah]

I’m obsessed with your new apron! You look gorgeous!

[@_nichrye]

i looove this apron

[@tracy_cakkes]

Perfect timing I’ve made of lot of these this summer My favorite

[@SrJohnnyCat]

People have been baking this cake A LOT on the r/dessertperson subreddit! Looks so good. 😍

[@frosty_ryan]

we might have enough episodes already, but someone needs to make a compilation of claire saying “mmm” i love it

[@tikitika999]

I see lemons or other citruses used pretty often in a lot of these sorts of recipes. I'm (very unfortunately) allergic to citruses so I wonder what would be a good alternative to the sourness that these fruits provide? Pineapple? Green apple? Tart cherry?

[@StaceWah]

This channel is such a delight. Every. Single. Time! 🥰🤩

[@allistar34]

one of my fave recipes from the book!!

[@hannahmaeponce9259]

strawberry and whipped cream, the best combination 💖

[@ninatabatchnick8963]

gonna make this for my dads birthday this week! thanks!

[@hillarycusenza3359]

That apron! I love it!

[@alexproulx8431]

Beautiful apron!

[@cynthiabohli-nelson1824]

Mmmm! I need to make this & share it with my parents.

[@Matt_Kole]

i prefer a layer strawberry shortcake that is like a layer cake but with the biscuit layers, but this seems real awesome too

[@PabloEmanuel96]

Claire living the little lady fantasy