Strawberry Cream Cake

WHIPPED CREAM
2 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
1/4 c Sugar
2 ts Vanilla extract
Toasted; sliced almonds for
-finishing

Bake and cool cake layers.

For the strawberries, reserve 6 perfect berries and leave the hulls intact.
Rinse, hull and slice the remaining berries. Combine them with the sugar
and lemon juice in a bowl and let them macerate for a few hours. When ready
to assemble the cake, drain the berries, reserving the juice.

For the whipped cream, combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric
mixer and whip cream until it holds a firm peak.

To assemble, place one of the cake layers on a platter or cardboard and
spread with whipped cream. Spread with the drained strawberry filling, then
with another thin layer of whipped cream. Place second layer on and mask
outside of cake with whipped cream. Press the sliced almonds against the
side of the cake.

To decorate, pipe 12 rosettes of the remaining whipped cream at the top
border of the cake. Decorate each rosette with a halved strawberry, cut
side up.

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cake Version: 1 1/2 cups cream 2 tablespoons
butter 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 pound finely cut chocolate Fresh
raspberries Milk chocolate shavings

Omit whipped cream. Bring cream, butter and light corn syrup to a boil and
remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool until
thickened. Beat on mixer with a paddle and use instead of the whipped
cream. Decorate with raspberries instead of strawberries and use chocolate
shavings instead of almonds.