Strawberry Brita Cake

It is a typical Finnish summer cake with a based of a butter cake with a meringue baked onto it, whipped cream, and fresh berries.

To appreciate this cake, you need two things: taste buds — hopefully a non-hurdle when cream, meringue, butter cake, and fresh berries are involved — and to embrace the dishevelment of it. It might be more of a pile of cake components by the time you get it all sliced, but unlike any messes in my non-cooking life, it will be a charming one, more trifle than … don’t say it, Deb… don’t do it… trifling.

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, divided
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• Finely grated zest of half a lemon
• 3/4 cup (170 grams) milk, whole or lowfat, or buttermilk, well-shaken
• 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

ASSEMBLY

• 1 pound (455 grams) fresh strawberries, halved or sliced
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup (225 grams) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) sour cream or creme fraiche
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting, and mint leaves, for garnish (both optional)