Ingredients:

• 1 recipe of Paula’s Basic Cake

• 6 cups strawberries (about 1 ½ lbs)

• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

Preparation:

1. Prepare the cake and allow all layers to cool completely.

2. Reserve 8 attractive strawberries of uniform size for garnishing. Hull the remaining berries and slice lengthwise. You should have about 2 cups.

3. To make the whipped cream, in a deep bowl, combine the cream, vanilla, and sugar. Using a wire whisk or electric beater (this is much easier with a stand mixer) on medium speed, beat until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted.

4. Spoon about one-fourth of the whipped cream on top of the bottom cake layer and spread evenly. Cover with half of the sliced strawberries.

5. Place the second cake layer on top pf the berries and spread with one-third of remaining whipped cream and all of the remaining sliced strawberries.

6. Using the wire whisk, continue to beat remaining cream until medium peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Use the remaining whipped cream to frost the sides and top of the cake. Decorate the top of the cake with the 8 strawberries.