A few weekends ago I had a small gathering for my birthday. I decided to make my own cake. I felt it was OK since I’m the pastry cook of the group.
PHOTOS: NICK BILTON
There were four layers to the vanilla cake, and in between I filled two with dulce de leche butter cream and the middle layer with chocolate pastry cream (a la Pierre Herme).
The strawberries were too good too pass up at the farmer’s market, so I made a “strawberry salad” to accompany each slice of the cake. And green being my new black, I colored the frosting a bright birthday green.
After indulging in the cake, we all danced the night away…
Strawberry Salad:
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and halved
1/3 cup granulated sugar
the juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
In a small bowl, toss together all ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
