Raina Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

Whisk dry ingredients together: in a medium bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk until evenly distributed.

Combine wet ingredients: in a separate large bowl, whisk together 0.5 cup melted butter, 1 cup whole milk, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and the zest of one lemon until smooth.

Bring wet and dry together: pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix — a few small lumps are fine.

Bake: pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven for 28–34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan once halfway through baking for even browning.

Cool: remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, invert onto the rack, remove parchment, and cool completely before topping (about 1 hour).

Prepare berries: if using large strawberries, hull and quarter them so pieces are roughly bite-sized. Measure 3 cups mixed berries.

Cook compote: place the berries, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, and 2 tbs lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Thicken: mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to make a slurry. Once the berries have released juice and the mixture is simmering (about 5–7 minutes), stir the slurry into the pot. Continue cooking 1–2 minutes until the compote thickens slightly. Taste and adjust sugar or lemon if needed. Remove from heat and let cool to warm or room temperature; compote will thicken further as it cools.

Make whipped cream: chill a mixing bowl and whisk (or beaters) if possible. Pour 1 cup heavy cream, add 2 tsp powdered sugar and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract. Whip on medium-high speed until soft to medium peaks form (cream will hold shape but still be silky).

Assemble the Raina: place the cooled cake on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer (about 1/3 of the whipped cream) over the cake top to create a base. Spoon the berry compote evenly over the whipped cream, leaving any juices on top. Dollop or pipe the remaining whipped cream on top or around the edges as desired.

Garnish and serve: finish with a few whole fresh berries if available and up to 6 mint leaves for color. Slice and serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. If refrigerated, let sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature for softer texture.