Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup organic raw sugar
½ cup melted butter
3 organic eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups organic all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup organic filtered milk
Strawberries
8 cups sliced fresh strawberries plus 1 cup organic raw sugar
1 package clear glaze powder (approximately 1 tbsp)
Topping
1 pint whipping cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp icing sugar
few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 package whipping cream stabilizer (approximately 1 tbsp)
Flag decoration
2 packages dried strawberry fruit strips (leather)
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine melted butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl on medium speed until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating on high speed until batter is fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and milk. Beat on medium until ingredients are just combined into a smooth batter. Spread into a 9 x 11 inch well-greased pan that’s at least 2 inches deep. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan.
Meanwhile, slice up 8 cups of fresh strawberries into a bowl. Stir in 1 cup of organic sugar. Let stand for an hour so that juice forms. Pour strawberry juice into a minimum 10-inch fry pan. Follow directions on package to prepare glaze powder and then add to the pan with the juice. Bring to a boil and reduce until thick and clear. Turn off burner and add sliced strawberries to the cooked glaze. Puncture cake all over with a fork. Pour hot berries and their juices onto cooled cake and let cool again.
Prepare whipped cream by combining whipping cream, vanilla, lemon juice, icing sugar and stabilizer. Whip until stiff and spread on top of cooled strawberry layer.
Cut leaf design out of dried strawberry fruit strips (available in grocery stores). Cut another sheet into narrow strips for the two sidebars. Position on top of whipped cream layer to form the Canadian flag.
Finally, sing O Canada and serve!
(serves up to 24)