Celebrate Memorial Day with summer’s perfect dessert – strawberries, fresh cake, and whipped cream.  We added spicy ginger to this sweet little pound cake and served it with strawberries we compressed with fruit juice and ginger using a vacuum sealer. If you don’t own a vacuum sealer, we have also included instructions to make this dessert with macerated berries, which are just as delicious! This recipe uses Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Ginger Sour, which can be ordered online, or you can substitute with simple syrup.

Ginger Citrus Cake
INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter at room temperature
2 ⅔ cups flour, plus more for the pans
2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
Pinch of salt
2 ⅓ cups sugar
Zest of two lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large egg yolks, 4 large eggs at room temperature
⅔ cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Ginger Sour, or simple syrup, recipe below
Compressed strawberries or macerated strawberries, recipes below
Fresh whipped cream

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Using 1 tablespoon of the softened butter, butter two 8 1/4- x – 4 1/2 – x 2 1/2 – inch loaf pans. Line with a long piece of parchment paper that extends over the sides of the pan. Butter the parchment and dust the inside with flour tapping out to remove any excess.

Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt together.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in the work bowl of a stand mixer and work them together with your fingers or a wooden spoon until the sugar and lemon zest is thoroughly combined. Add the butter to the sugar and using a stand mixer combine until the mixture is light in color and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and eggs, one at a time, combining them each into the mixture until thoroughly incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract, cream, and Perfect Purée Ginger Sour into the mixer bowl and combine thoroughly.

Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients in 3 to 4 additions until the batter is smooth and thick. Pour into the pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes. Then using the excess parchment, remove the cakes from the pans. Remove the parchment and place the cakes back on the rack to cool to room temperature. Slice and serve with the compressed berries and fresh whipped cream.

Compressed Strawberries
INGREDIENTS
1 quart fresh strawberries
1/2 cup Perfect Purée of Napa Valley Ginger Sour or simple syrup

INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the stems and cut the berries in half. Remove one cup of strawberries; set the others aside.

Chop the one cup of berries and add to a blender with the Perfect Purée Ginger Sour or simple syrup. Process until very smooth. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve; discard solids.

Add the strawberry halves to a chamber vacuum bag. Pour the liquid over the berries and seal with the vacuum to compress the berries. Refrigerate overnight.

Macerated Strawberries
INGREDIENTS
1 quart fresh strawberries
1/2 cup Perfect Purée Ginger Sour or simple syrup, recipe below

INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the stems and cut the berries in half. Add the strawberry halves to a bowl. Pour the liquid over the berries and leave at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Refrigerate overnight.

Simple Syrup
INGREDIENTS
½ cup sugar
½ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS
In a saucepan over medium heat add the sugar with ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar melts into the water. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.