Berry Berry Good Pan Dulce Cake

I like my world whimsical, fun, and full of love. I am known to live in a close knit circle of friends who all keep it positive. It’s sort-of like living in a bubble where people can look in, but only a select few are actually invited in to play. Not because I’m mean spirited or think I’m above anyone, it’s just because I don’t find common interest with many people. With that being said I am very lucky that one of my best girl friends lives only a few feet away from me…. I mean she lives next door. Right around Easter time she invited me over for a slice of Strawberry cake she made. I was delighted because heaven knows I’m hardly ever invited over for dinner, much less cake. I was so impressed with her strawberry cake and left her home feeling inspired to make my own rendition someday.

A few weeks later I was at my favorite market and saw a wide variety of berries on display, as I inspected the cartons of strawberries looking for the reddest, non bruised or moldy or slushed berries I knew exactly what I would make with them. I wanted my berry cake to have a sugar crust on it like my favorite types of pan dulce. I thought the whole process through without ever making a mention of the kind of cake I was set out to make to my family or friends. I have made this cake several times now and each time it comes out a little better than the time before, but every time I make it someone says it taste like a delicious piece of pan dulce. Mission mastered means I am a happy girl in my kitchen with my berry berry good pan dulce cake.

Ingredients for strawberry pan dulce cake:

7 – tablespoons salted butter (room temperature)
1 – cup sugar + 3 tablespoons
1 1/2 – cups flour
1 1/2 – teaspoons baking powder
1 – large egg
1/2 – cup crema Mexicana (I used Cacique’s)
1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
7 – 8 strawberries (cut in half length wise)
11 -pitted fresh cherries
10 – fresh blueberries

Directions:

Grease an 8 inch metal cake pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Make sure to smear the butter all along the edge as well. Then pour 2 tablespoons of sugar into the pan and dust the entire greased pan with sugar. Discard any of the remaining sugar from the pan and set to the side.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
In a large mixer beat 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy and pale yellow. About 4 to 5 minutes. Add in egg, crema Mexicana, and vanilla. Mix for another 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture comes together and is smooth.
In a separate bowl sift flour, and baking powder together.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the sugar greased pan.
With a rubber spatula, smooth the top of the mixture evenly.
Place the strawberries along the edge of the cake to form and outside ring.
Then place the remaining berries in the middle.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top of the berries.
Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake for another hour and 5 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool for an hour or two.
Enjoy!