STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE WITH YOGURT CREAM

With a generous proportion of almond flour, the cake layers develop a crust as crisp as biscuit-style shortcake, but whipped egg whites keep the inside as fluffy as angel food cake. The tangy creaminess of yogurt and crème fraîche and the tart sweetness of the orange juice–infused berries perfectly match the delicious nutty cake. If you’d prefer, you can serve this as two single-layer cakes, mounding the cream and berries on top.

makes one 9-inch layer cake

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 2-inch-deep 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper; don’t grease the pans or parchment.

2. Sift both flours, the baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in ¼ cup (52 g) of the sugar. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff but not dry peaks form; be sure to stop beating once the whites hold shiny peaks or the whites and the cake will end up dry.

3. Combine the egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining ½ cup (104 g) sugar in another large bowl (or transfer the beaten whites to another bowl and use the same mixer bowl without washing). Zest the orange into the bowl, then squeeze ¼ cup juice from the orange and add it; reserve the rest of the orange. Beat with the electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is thickened, very pale, and doubled in volume.

4. Fold one third of the egg whites into the yolks to lighten them, then fold in the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. Add the remaining whites and gently fold just until all traces of whites and flour disappear. Divide between the prepared pans and gently smooth the tops; try to not deflate the batter.

5. Bake until the cakes are golden brown and the centers almost spring back when gently poked with a fingertip, 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Place the cake pans upside down on wire racks and cool completely in the pans. (The sides of the cakes should cling to the pans, preventing them from falling onto the racks, though it’s OK if they do.)

7. Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a medium bowl and squeeze the rest of the orange juice over them. Gently toss. If the berries are tart or bland, toss with sugar to taste. Let stand for at least 30 minutes.

8. When ready to serve, whisk the yogurt and crème fraîche in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Whisk in sugar to taste, if you’d like.

9. Run a thin-bladed knife between the edges of one of the cakes and the pan. Invert onto a sheet of parchment paper and discard the bottom sheet of parchment. Flip the cake again onto a serving plate, so that it’s right side up. Arrange half of the berries over the cake, spooning half of the juices over the berries and letting them soak into the cake. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the berries. Repeat to remove the second cake layer from the pan and place it right side up on top of the first layer. Drizzle the remaining berry juices over the cake, then top with the remaining cream and arrange the remaining berries on top of the cream. This is best served immediately, but it can stand for ½ hour at cool room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD

The cake layers will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The berries and cream will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.