Between holidays, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, book club gatherings, and weddings, there are no shortage of reasons to make a cake. Although does anyone really need a reason to bake a cake? My sources of cake baking inspiration range anywhere from finding the most beautiful berries at the market or receiving a dozen fresh Farmer's Market eggs from a friend. Either one of those things is more than enough to cause a non-linear cake baking reaction in my world. But when they both happen simultaneously, I feel compelled to bake a cake. Nothing complicated or fancy, just a simple everyday cake. Like this Milk and Honey Cake with Sweetened Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries.
Admittedly I am someone who spends a bit too much time reading recipes and browsing through food photos. However, this investment of time isn't without its' benefits. Beyond discovering new ways to prepare or present food, it has led to some rather significant shifts in my thinking. Particularly about cakes. Layered cakes, ones beautifully iced, have always been my idea of the 'perfect cake'. Single layer cakes, especially rectangular ones, were ones I didn't necessarily find spellbinding or irresistible. If there was one word I would use to describe them it be 'ordinary'. That is, up until now. Amazing things happen when there is a paradigm shift in your 'cake' thinking. Things like this Milk & Honey Cake w/ Sweetened Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries.
A cake's deliciousness isn't and shouldn't be dependent on its' shape, size, or number of layers. Ingredients are what matter most. Single layer rectangular cakes can be as stunning as a layered cake. But they have one huge advantage. They are the easiest to cut and serve. If someone dares to ask for just a sliver, single layer rectangular cakes make cake cutting simple and uncomplicated. Even better is the ratio of cake to icing doesn't change based on the size of the piece of cake (especially if you don't ice the sides of the cake). How did it take me so long to come to embrace all of these things?
When browsing through Odette Williams new cookbook "Simple Cake", I was intrigued by the recipe for a (two-layer) Milk and Honey Cake. One I had never before made. Other than slightly increasing the amount of vanilla in the recipe, I decided to make it as a single layer cake. Not much of a risk but a significant departure from my idea of what a cake should be. It didn't take long to decide it would be topped with a light dusting of confectionary sugar, a generous spread of sweetened whipped cream, and some fresh strawberries and raspberries.
The milk in the cake is actually buttermilk. If you want a cake with a moist and tender crumb, buttermilk will help you get it. Honey not only adds a subtle sweetness to the cake, it contributes to the cake's tenderness and taste. If you want a cake that tastes even better the second day, use honey. And for this cake, use a good honey. If you want to go all out on a fancy honey, you can. But the flavor imparted from that honey from those cute little bear jars works perfectly.
The golden color of the baked milk and honey cake made me giddy with anticipation. If the cake baked up this beautifully, how wondrously delicious would it be? Spoiler alert: It was mouthwatering delicious. Even without the lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a perfect finishing touch to almost any cake. It's creamy, not overly sweet, and can create an 'oh and ah' look. To sweeten up freshly whipped cream, I have almost always used confectionary sugar. Rarely have I used honey or sweetened condensed milk. Having now tasted whipped cream sweetened with sweetened condensed milk, I don't know if I will ever use confectionary sugar again. I won't say never, but it will be a long time before confectionary sugar is my whipping cream sweetener. But I will use it to lightly dust a cake iced with freshly whipped cream.
Any number of summer berries would pair well with the Milk and Honey Cake. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries. Freshly sliced peaches would work as well. Already I am thinking this cake will be the base for this year's Fourth of July Flag Cake. Stripes of sliced strawberries and raspberries and blueberries for the stars.
Or you don't have to top with fresh berries at all. Just the dusting of confectionary sugar and the lightly sweetened whip cream. Swirled on with an offset spatula or piped on with a pastry bag.
I may have been remiss in not telling you how heavenly the house smelled when this cake was baking in the oven. Yet another reason you should bake this cake.
You can bake this cake early in the day and ice it shortly before you serve it. Before whipping up your heavy cream to soft, fluffy but stable peaks, put your bowl in the refrigerator to let it get chilled. A chilled bowl helps you achieve the pillowiest whipped cream.
This truly is a simple cake to make. Yet, there is nothing simple about its' taste, texture, flavor, or appearance. If single layer, rectangular cakes have never spoken or appealed to you before, I hope this Milk & Honey Cake w/ Sweetened Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries does. Once you see a beautiful single layer cake, you can't unsee it.
Milk & Honey Cake w/ Sweetened Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries (an ever so slight adaption to Odette Williams Milk and Honey Cake recipe shared in her cookbook 'Simple Cake: All You Need To Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake')
Serves 12-16 people, maybe more if some ask for just a sliver
Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups (290 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
3/4 cup (255 g) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
Sweetened Whipped Cream
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 1/2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of kosher salt
Confectionary Sugar for dusting the top of the cake
Two pints of fresh strawberries and less than a half pint of fresh raspberries (Note: Use all strawberries, any mixture of berries, or no berries at all)
Directions
Cake
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, twice. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the honey, buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside. Note: Shake the bottle of buttermilk before measuring out the one cup.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9"x 12" baking pan with parchment paper. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan and parchment paper. Set aside.
5. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for 45-60 seconds. Gradually add in the sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy (approximately 4 minutes). Note: Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through the beating process.
6. Add in the whisked eggs, one tablespoon at a time. Beating each tablespoon until it becomes incorporated. Beating time will be approximately 3 minutes. If the mixture curdles (and it might), add in a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture to bring it back together.
7. Beginning and ending with the flour, alternately add in the flour mixture and buttermilk/honey mixture. Note: I did this in 5 additions of dry and 4 additions of wet. Mixture should be combined and smooth but not over beaten.
8. Before pouring the batter into the prepared pan, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make certain the ingredients are well combined.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake for 35-38 minutes rotating the pan midway through the baking process or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let the cake rest in the baking pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Sweetened Whipped Cream and Assembly
1. In the chilled bowl of standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment whip the cream, sweetened condensed milk, and pinch of salt until soft, but firm peaks form.
2. Transfer the cooled cake to a serving platter. Lightly dust with confectionary sugar.
3. Spoon some of the whipped cream over the top of the cake or use a pastry bag to create a fancier version of this simple cake. Note You will have more than enough of the sweetened whipped cream. Serve the extra on the side.
4. Arrange the berries on top. Serve immediately and enjoy. Note: Can assemble the cake up to 1 hour before serving.
5. Store any leftover cake lightly covered in the refrigerator.
Notes: (1) Use a more everyday versus highly flavored honey in this cake. The kind of honey that comes in the bear jar worked well. (2) Instead of a making a sheet cake, you can make a two layer cake. For a two layer cake use 8" cake pans. Prepare pans accordingly. Baking time will still be 35-38 minutes. (3) Sweetened condensed milk now comes in squeeze bottles. Which means you don't have to open and/or waste a whole can just to sweeten your whipping cream with it. (4) Top the cake with any kind or combination of summer berries and/or freshly sliced peaches.
