Refined Strawberry Shortcake

For the best texture, mix the cake batter quickly but gently, and have your equipment ready and ingredients measured before beginning. Cool the melted butter only slightly, to between 95 and 110 degrees. This recipe was written for light-colored cake pans; if your pans are dark, reduce the baking time in step 7 to 10 to 13 minutes.

For the best texture, mix the cake batter quickly but gently, and have your equipment ready and ingredients measured before beginning. Cool the melted butter only slightly, to between 95 and 110 degrees. This recipe was written for light-colored cake pans; if your pans are dark, reduce the baking time in step 7 to 10 to 13 minutes.

1. FOR THE STRAWBERRIES: Toss strawberries with sugar, lemon juice, and salt in large bowl. Set aside for at least 1½ hours or up to 3 hours.

2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line with parchment paper and spray parchment with baking spray with flour. Combine melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Whisk flour and salt together in second bowl.

3. Combine eggs and sugar in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over medium saucepan filled with 2 inches simmering water, making sure that water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisking constantly, heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 115 to 120 degrees, about 3 minutes.

4. Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk. Beat on high speed until eggs are pale yellow and have tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. (Egg foam will form ribbon that sits on top of mixture for 5 seconds when dribbled from whisk.) Measure out 3/4 cup egg foam, whisk into butter mixture until well combined, and set aside.

5. Transfer remaining egg foam to large, wide bowl and sift one-third of flour mixture over egg foam in even layer. Using rubber spatula, gently fold batter 6 to 8 times until small streaks of flour remain. Repeat folding 6 to 8 times with half of remaining flour mixture. Sift remaining flour mixture over batter and gently fold 10 to 12 times until flour is completely incorporated.

6. Pour butter mixture over batter in even layer. Gently fold until just incorporated, taking care not to deflate batter. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.

7. Bake until centers of cakes are set and bounce back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 13 to 16 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on wire rack, about 2 hours.

8. Drain berries in fine-mesh strainer over bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons juice into small bowl (reserve remaining juice in bowl) and stir in cornstarch until well combined. Microwave, stirring every 10 seconds, until mixture is very thick and translucent, 30 to 45 seconds. Set aside.

9. Place 1 cake layer right side up on platter. Place second layer upside down on cutting board. Using paring knife, cut circle from center of cake on board, leaving 1-inch-wide ring of cake. (Reserve circle for another use.) Place upside-down cake ring on top of layer on platter. Using pastry brush, brush all of unthickened strawberry juice onto bottom cake layer and inner sides of cake ring. Gently combine berries and reserved thickened juice in now-empty bowl. Spoon berry mixture into cake ring, forming even layer.

10. FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream and crème fraîche on low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Dollop 2 tablespoons whipped cream onto center of cake. Transfer remaining whipped cream to serving bowl. Dust cake ring with confectioners’ sugar. Cut and serve, passing extra whipped cream separately.