Preparation

Step 1

Combine quartered strawberries, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to macerate while you make the cake.

Step 2

Adjust the oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 325-degrees.

Step 3

In a food processor or blender, pulse the sugar until fine and powdery. Remove 1 cup and set aside to use in the next step; keep the rest inside the food processor. Add the cake flour and salt to the food processor. Pulse 5-10 times until sugar/flour/salt mixture is aerated and light.

Step 4

In a large bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar together until foamy, ~1 minute. Slowly add the 1 cup of sugar you set aside and whip until soft peaks form, ~5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then mix until just incorporated.

Step 5

In 3 additions, slowly sift the flour mixture into the egg white mixture using a fine mesh strainer, gently folding with a rubber spatula after each addition. To avoid deflating or a dense cake, don’t add the flour mixture all at once; sift and very slowly fold in several additions. This is important! Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Shimmy the pan on the counter to smooth down the surface.

Step 6

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, ~45 minutes, rotateing the pan halfway through baking. The cake will rise up very tall while baking. Remove from the oven, then cool the cake completely upside-down on a wire rack,~3 hours. (Upside-down so the bottom of the tube pan is right-side up.) Once cooled, run a thin knife around the edges and gently tap the pan on the counter until the cake releases.

Step 7

If desired, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice the cake with a sharp serrated knife. Serve with the strawberries and whipped cream, if using.