Preheat the oven to 325°F (~165°C) and prepare three 9-inch (~22 cm) round baking pans by lining them with parchment paper or greasing them with butter and dusting them with flour to prevent the layers from sticking. In a large bowl, combine the flour with 225 g of sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with a spatula or whisk until the ingredients are perfectly integrated. In another bowl, pour in the oil, lemon juice, water, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and egg yolks. Whisk everything together until you achieve a homogeneous, creamy, and slightly frothy mixture.
Next, pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and use a mixer on medium speed to combine everything until the composition becomes uniform. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 50 g of sugar, continuing to beat until you obtain a compact and glossy meringue. Now, it is important to gently fold the meringue into the flour mixture. Add 1/4 of the meringue to the flour composition and gently mix using a spatula, folding from the bottom up, to avoid losing air from the meringue. Repeat this process until all the meringue is incorporated.
The final composition is evenly divided among the three prepared pans, taking care to break any air bubbles with a knife or spatula. Place the pans in the oven, where they will bake for about 20 minutes or until the layers are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After baking, let the layers cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully remove them to cool completely on a rack.
Once the layers have cooled, they can be soaked with a simple syrup made from boiled water and sugar to add extra moisture and flavor. Each layer is spread with a delicious cream made from cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar, mixed well until homogeneous. On top, fresh strawberry slices are placed, bringing a contrast of textures and flavors. The slices are stacked on top of each other, forming a generous cake. The cake is covered with a generous layer of cream or whipped cream, and the final decoration can include fresh fruits, edible flowers, or decorations made from marzipan or fondant. This recipe will not only impress with its appearance but will also delight the taste buds of those who savor it. Decorating with colored sugar crystals or colored whipped cream will add a final touch of elegance and joy.
Next, pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and use a mixer on medium speed to combine everything until the composition becomes uniform. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 50 g of sugar, continuing to beat until you obtain a compact and glossy meringue. Now, it is important to gently fold the meringue into the flour mixture. Add 1/4 of the meringue to the flour composition and gently mix using a spatula, folding from the bottom up, to avoid losing air from the meringue. Repeat this process until all the meringue is incorporated.
The final composition is evenly divided among the three prepared pans, taking care to break any air bubbles with a knife or spatula. Place the pans in the oven, where they will bake for about 20 minutes or until the layers are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After baking, let the layers cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully remove them to cool completely on a rack.
Once the layers have cooled, they can be soaked with a simple syrup made from boiled water and sugar to add extra moisture and flavor. Each layer is spread with a delicious cream made from cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar, mixed well until homogeneous. On top, fresh strawberry slices are placed, bringing a contrast of textures and flavors. The slices are stacked on top of each other, forming a generous cake. The cake is covered with a generous layer of cream or whipped cream, and the final decoration can include fresh fruits, edible flowers, or decorations made from marzipan or fondant. This recipe will not only impress with its appearance but will also delight the taste buds of those who savor it. Decorating with colored sugar crystals or colored whipped cream will add a final touch of elegance and joy.
Ingredients
The base: 450 g flour, 225 g sugar + 50 g granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 7 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 5 tablespoons water, grated lemon peel, a few drops of lemon essence (or vanilla), 3 egg yolks, 8 egg whites. The syrup: one cup of water, one cup of sugar, lemon peel, one tablespoon of preferred syrup. The cream: 2 packages of Philadelphia cheese (at room temperature), 1 package of butter (at room temperature), 225 g powdered sugar, 1 vanilla sugar.