Makes 1 8-inch cake

You don’t need a birthday to make a good old-fashioned layer cake. Skip the ubiquitous version you can buy at every bakery in town. It has to be homemade. Of course, anyone who does have a birthday coming up will thank you for this nostalgic summer indulgence, made with rhubarb, strawberries, and cream.

FILLING

?

? cup sugar, or more to taste

½ teaspoon finely grated orange rind

? cup orange juice

5 to 6 rhubarb stalks (8 ounces), ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths

½ teaspoon rosewater

1½ cups sliced strawberries

1. Have on hand a medium heatproof bowl. In a medium skillet over medium heat, stir together the sugar, orange rind, and orange juice until the mixture liquefies and begins to boil.

2. Raise the heat to high and add the rhubarb. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rhubarb juices start to flow, the liquid comes to a boil, and the sugar dissolves. Adjust the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring often, for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb starts to fall apart but about half the pieces remain intact.

3. Immediately pour the rhubarb into the bowl and stir in the rosewater. Cool to room temperature; the rhubarb will continue to soften as it sits. Stir in the strawberries.

CAKE

Butter (for the pans)

1½ cups flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

? cup melted unsalted butter

? cup heavy cream

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter the sides of 2 8-inch cakes pans. Line the bottoms with 2 circles of parchment cut to fit.

2. Into a bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer on high speed, beat the eggs for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, and beat for 4 minutes longer, or until thick and light in color. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Remove the bowl from the stand. One half at a time, sift the flour mixture over the batter. With a rubber spatula, fold it gently into the batter, fully incorporating it after each addition. Fold in the melted butter and the cream.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Rap them on the counter to level them and release any large air bubbles. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Set the layers on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.

6. Slide a knife around the edges of the pans and invert the layers onto the rack. Peel off the paper, turn the layers right side up, and cool completely.

CREAM

1¼ cups heavy whipping cream

4 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon rosewater or vanilla

1. In the bowl of an electric mixture, whip the cream, sugar, and rosewater or vanilla together just until soft peaks begin to form. To prevent overwhipping, use a few strokes of a wire whisk to finish whipping to soft peaks.

2. Set a cake layer on a plate with the bottom facing up. Spread with the strawberry-rhubarb filling. Top with the second layer, this time with the top facing up. Spread the top with whipped cream. Serve extra whipped cream on the side. Sally Pasley Vargas

Sally Pasley Vargas can be reached at sally.p.vargas@gmail.com.