Strawberry Whipped Cream Cake for 12

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add softened unsalted butter and mix on low speed until the texture resembles coarse sand.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then slowly pour in whole milk and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the gluten.
5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Allow cake layers to cool completely on a wire rack.
7. In a chilled mixing bowl, whip ice-cold heavy whipping cream, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
8. Place one cake layer on a plate. Pipe a ring of whipped cream around the perimeter of the layer to create a dam.
9. Fill the center of the ring with a layer of sliced strawberries and strawberry reduction.
10. Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
11. Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 4 hours to ensure structural integrity before slicing.