Baking at Isabelle's: Rhubarb Strawberries and Cream Cake

A May tradition

There are very few recipes I bake over and over again. After all, a girl can only make so many baked goods! Usually, I like to experiment and create something new. This cake is one of the rare exceptions. It’s the fourth year in a row I’ve made it, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

Over the years, I’ve made a few tweaks, but mostly to improve the structure of the cake. Originally, I made it with just whipped cream, which is delicious but a bit too delicate. The mascarpone whipped cream adds just a bit more body while still remaining light and fluffy. Then, I started using some of the strawberries as stilts—an idea I got from Claire Saffitz’s book Dessert Person. It’s a genius trick that keeps the weight of the cake from pressing out all the filling. Finally, this year, I turned it into a three-layer cake. Previously, I always stuck with two because I wasn’t the most confident in my cake-layering skills. But if you take a little time, it’s pretty easy, and you end up with what I think is the perfect ratio of cake, fruit, and cream in every bite.

This cake is, of course, great with strawberries and rhubarb, but in July and August, I love to make it with stone fruits like cherries and peaches

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Recipe: