Our technique of cooking the perfect cake in a slow cooker uses both the high and low settings, ensuring that the cake stays tender without being too moist. Good-quality parchment paper is on the heavier side, and it will help insulate the cake so that it bakes to a nice light-golden colour.
- Prep time 30 minutes
- Total time 4 hours
Ingredients
Cake:
Strawberries and Cream:
Method
Cake: Stack 3 sheets of good-quality parchment paper; place insert of 5- to 6-quart oval slow cooker in centre. Adding 3 inches, trace around bottom; cut out shapes. Grease insert; line with triple layer of parchment paper cutouts. Set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time; beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, lemon zest and salt; stir into butter mixture, alternating with milk, making 2 additions of each, until smooth.
Scrape into prepared slow cooker, smoothing top. Cover top of insert with 4 layers of paper towels; secure with slow cooker lid. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and cook until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Turn off slow cooker; let cool, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Using parchment paper, lift cake onto rack; let cool completely. Peel off parchment paper. (Make-ahead: Wrap in plastic wrap; store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)
Strawberries and Cream: While cake is cooking, quarter 3 of the strawberries. Set aside.
Hull and slice remaining strawberries and place in bowl. Stir in 1 tbsp of the sugar. Let stand for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in separate bowl, beat together cream, remaining sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Assembly: Cut cake in half horizontally to make 2 layers. Place bottom layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Using slotted spoon and letting excess liquid drip back into bowl, spoon sliced strawberries over top of cake. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the liquid from bowl; discard remaining liquid.
Spoon two-thirds of the whipped cream over strawberries. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Top with remaining whipped cream and quartered strawberries. Serve immediately.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Nutritional facts per each of 12 servings: about
- Fibre 1 g
- Sodium 204 mg
- Sugars 23 g
- Protein 5 g
- Calories 367.0
- Total fat 21 g
- Potassium 149 mg
- Cholesterol 93 mg
- Saturated fat 12 g
- Total carbohydrate 41 g
%RDI
- Iron 9.0
- Folate 21.0
- Calcium 8.0
- Vitamin A 21.0
- Vitamin C 36.0
