Vanilla Slice Cake

For most of my life nearly everyone I knew made strawberry shortcake in exactly the same way. They got some strawberries, cut them up, poured a ton of sugar on them, let them sit until they were juicy, spooned them over little round store-bought golden sponge cakes, and top them with cool whip.

It wasn’t until later in life that I learned that that was not really the thing it said it was. The “shortcake” part anyway, apparently it went from being a crumbly biscuit scone type thing to those weird wanna be twinkie cakes we see today. I realize this is not what everyone calls Strawberry Shortcake, I’m just saying in my experience that is what it has always been.

I did have the biscuity type once, and it was OK. Neither thing, twinkie sponge or crumble biscuit is what I personally want under my strawberries. I prefer a good buttery pound cake or even just a plain old vanilla sponge cake, homemade of course.

So, here is my compromise. A rich buttery vanilla cake I like to top with (sliced before roasting) Roasted Strawberries in their Own Brown Sugar and Balsamic Syrup. Oh, and topped with Cool Whip… gotta have that Cool Whip!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 TBSP butter, cut into slices

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350f and spray an 11×4.5-inch loaf pan or an 8×8-inch cake pan.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thick and pale, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a microwave proof measuring jug, or on the stove in a small pan. Heat only until the butter has melted.
4. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the egg mixture. Beat on low until all the dry ingredients are moistened.
5. With the mixture running, add the milk mixture in a steady stream until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and the cake is pulling away from the sides.
7. Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack in the pan, then invert it out of the pan onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.