Well, strawberry season is winding down, and I thought it best to have it go out with a BANG this year.  I made the last of the strawberry harvest into preserves with some leftover rhubarb that I had frozen a couple of weeks back.  And, I'd also like to take this opportunity to share my favorite cake recipe, ever.  This cake doesn't screw around or make excuses.  It's a full-blown from scratch birthday cake-style treat that includes Dairy-free buttercream frosting.

We'll start off with the preserves.  If you aren't making your own preserves ( jam and jelly) yet, you really should.  It's incredibly easy and doesn't take as much time as you might think.  I made 5 jars of Strawberry- Rhubarb Jam that I'm keeping in the refridgerator.  The first jar disappeared after about 3 days, and another jar could easily be used as an AMAZING strawberry cake layer filling/ fruit topper.

Honestly, I just follow the recipe on the Certo pectin box, but I'll write it down here just you can all see how easy it is:

• 24 oz very ripe strawberries, hulled (or no-sugar-added frozen strawberries)
• 1-2 tsp sugar (optional)
•  
• For the cake:
• 1/3 cup Soymilk, at room temperature
• 6 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup cake flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp Earthbalance brand Margarine (1 1/2 sticks), at room temp

1. Hull, slice and toss fresh strawberries with a teaspoon or two of sugar and cover. Let them sit at room temperature until juicy.
2. Puree strawberry mixture  in a blender 
3. Reserve 3/4 cup puree for the cake.
4. Use leftover puree to fill the cake or fold into the frosting, if desired. OR use some of the Strawberry Rhubarb Jam from the above recipe!
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8- or 9-inch pans: oil and flour the pans well
6. In a small bowl, combine puree, soymilk, eggs, and vanilla and mix with a fork until well blended. In  the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Continue beating at slow speed and add butter. Mix until combined and resembling moist crumbs.
7. Add wet ingredients and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute or until  evenly combined. Stop mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl and hand beat for 30 more seconds.
8. Divide the batter evenly among the pans
9. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (time will vary). Let cakes rest in pan for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire racks. Let cakes cool completely before frosting!

• 1 cup Earth Balance Margarine (or Palm-oil based Shortening *contains no transfat)
• 4 cups corn-free confectioners’ sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 2 T. plain unsweetened almond milk or soymilk

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream the margarine until fluffy. Add the confectioners sugar gradually, beating at a low speed until combined. Turn up the speed to high, add the remaining ingredients, and beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Chill slightly before using.



Assemble your cake!  Put the Jam layer in between the two cake layers, and then frost with buttercream!

I hope you all enjoyed strawberry season as much as I did this year!   

This has become a fast favorite in my family and it is modified from a recipe for apple cake that we got from a multi-generational farm family who live upstate.

A perfect dessert on a warm Spring evening.

Well, I made a pie.  If there's one thing about me and my cooking that you should know is that I really, REALLY don't like pie crusts and I don't ever make pies.  I make crisps, and crumbles and cakes and quickbreads and muffins... but I do not like making pies.

But, come on, I HAD to.  Who doesn't make pie out of rhubarb? I caved and I did what (probably most) people do when they make a "homemade pie"...I bought the crust at the store!  Yep, I cheated.  Check this out:  Dairy free, corn free, and they even have a gluten-free version.  I have to say I'm in full support of Wholly Wholesome pie shells.  

And so, while my shells thawed, I put together the filling.

When my Grandma immigrated  from Germany to the USA she didn't bring much with her, but she did bring a chunk of rootstock from her father's Strawberry Rhubarb.  Strawberry rhubarb differs from regular rhubarb in that it generally has a smaller stalk that is a pretty pinkish red color.  My grandma, my mom, and I all have offspring from great grandpa's rhubarb plant growing in our yards... mine's a little small and sad, but mom's was big this year and she's been harvesting.