Shrimp in Chile-Lemongrass Sauce

This Malaysian stir-fry gets its flavor from a rempah, or spice paste. Usually the rempah would include a few hard-to-find ingredients, but I've made some substitutions so you'll be able to get everything in a well-stocked supermarket. If you have access to authentic Malaysian ingredients, you can make the substitutions in the tip below.

For the spice paste:

• 1 large dried New Mexico or California red chile
• 2 dried chiles de árbol or cayenne chiles
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. slivered almonds
• 4 large shallots, coarsely chopped
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 fresh red Fresno chiles or red jalapeños, seeded and sliced

Tip:

For a more authentic rempah, substitute chopped galangal for the ginger, 1/2 tsp. dried shrimp sauce (blachan) for the fish sauce, and two candlenuts, soaked for 10 minutes in lukewarm water, for the almonds.

For the shrimp:

• 1/3 cup corn oil or vegetable oil
• 1 pound large shrimp (26-30 per pound), shelled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 medium onion, halved through the stem and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 small tomatoes, cored and cut through the stem end into 8 wedges
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Make the rempah:

Cut all the dried chiles into 4 or 5 pieces each with scissors; shake out the seeds. Put the chiles in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, simmering until the chiles are soft and flexible, about 3 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the water. Put the chiles in a blender.

Trim off the root and top section of the lemongrass, leaving a 5- to 6-inch section of bottom stem. Remove the fibrous outer layers until you reach the tender white core. Smash this core with the side of a knife to flatten it slightly. Cut it in half lengthwise and then slice crosswise into thin pieces.

Add the lemongrass, ginger, almonds, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, fresh chiles, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved chile water to the blender. Blend to a smooth purée, adding a few more tablespoons of the chile water, or up to 1/2 cup total if needed, to facilitate blending.

Cook the shrimp in the rempah:

Heat a nonstick wok or stir-fry pan or a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Scrape the rempah into the pan and fry gently, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the oil and rempah are blended and emulsified, about 1 minute. Continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the mixture darkens and thickens to a porridge consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you added extra water to the blender, it may take longer to thicken.) The rempah should separate, with reddish beads of oil on the surface.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp and onions. Fry them, tossing and flipping frequently, until the shrimp feel firm to the touch and the onions are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato, sugar, salt, and lime juice, stirring and cooking just long enough to mix and to heat the tomato wedges without breaking them apart.

Strawberry-Orange-Vanilla Breakfast Smoothie

Not only do we like this for breakfast, but we’ve also been known to whip one up in the test kitchen when we need a little pick-me-up during a busy day of recipe testing and food styling. You’ll be surprised to taste how smooth, creamy, and tangy it is, especially considering that it contains no yogurt or other dairy products.Find this and other smoothies in our Drinks and Entertaining Guide.

• 8 frozen strawberries
• About 1/4 lb. plain silken tofu
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbs. honey; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup with Star Anise

I like to serve this soup with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of really flavorful vinegar on each serving. It’s also delicious served cold, and it can be garnished with a few cooked shrimp, a mound of crabmeat, or a bit of goat cheese.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large onions (about 24 oz. total), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cubic inch fresh ginger (about 1/2 oz.), peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 4 oz. chopped)
• 2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• 7 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded; juices reserved
• 2 pods (or 1-1/2 tsp. broken pieces) star anise
• 1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar (optional)

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a 6-qt. soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots and sauté until very soft but not browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the broth and turn the heat to high. Add the roasted peppers and any reserved juices, as well as the star anise, salt, pepper, and cayenne. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Purée the soup 2 cups at a time in a blender, with all the basil leaves going in the blender along with the first 2 cups of soup. Purée each batch of soup in the blender for at least 1 min. (Vent the lid and hold a folded dishtowel over the lid to prevent leaks.) Combine all the puréed soup in one container, taste, and add more salt and pepper to bring all the flavors into balance. (For a thinner soup, strain through a wide-mesh sieve.) Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar.

Shrimp in Chile-Lemongrass Sauce

This Malaysian stir-fry gets its flavor from a rempah, or spice paste. Usually the rempah would include a few hard-to-find ingredients, but I've made some substitutions so you'll be able to get everything in a well-stocked supermarket. If you have access to authentic Malaysian ingredients, you can make the substitutions in the tip below.

For the spice paste:

• 1 large dried New Mexico or California red chile
• 2 dried chiles de árbol or cayenne chiles
• 2 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. slivered almonds
• 4 large shallots, coarsely chopped
• 4 to 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 fresh red Fresno chiles or red jalapeños, seeded and sliced

Tip:

For a more authentic rempah, substitute chopped galangal for the ginger, 1/2 tsp. dried shrimp sauce (blachan) for the fish sauce, and two candlenuts, soaked for 10 minutes in lukewarm water, for the almonds.

For the shrimp:

• 1/3 cup corn oil or vegetable oil
• 1 pound large shrimp (26-30 per pound), shelled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 medium onion, halved through the stem and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 small tomatoes, cored and cut through the stem end into 8 wedges
• 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice

Make the rempah:

Cut all the dried chiles into 4 or 5 pieces each with scissors; shake out the seeds. Put the chiles in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, simmering until the chiles are soft and flexible, about 3 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the water. Put the chiles in a blender.

Trim off the root and top section of the lemongrass, leaving a 5- to 6-inch section of bottom stem. Remove the fibrous outer layers until you reach the tender white core. Smash this core with the side of a knife to flatten it slightly. Cut it in half lengthwise and then slice crosswise into thin pieces.

Add the lemongrass, ginger, almonds, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, fresh chiles, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved chile water to the blender. Blend to a smooth purée, adding a few more tablespoons of the chile water, or up to 1/2 cup total if needed, to facilitate blending.

Cook the shrimp in the rempah:

Heat a nonstick wok or stir-fry pan or a large sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Scrape the rempah into the pan and fry gently, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the oil and rempah are blended and emulsified, about 1 minute. Continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the mixture darkens and thickens to a porridge consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you added extra water to the blender, it may take longer to thicken.) The rempah should separate, with reddish beads of oil on the surface.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp and onions. Fry them, tossing and flipping frequently, until the shrimp feel firm to the touch and the onions are crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomato, sugar, salt, and lime juice, stirring and cooking just long enough to mix and to heat the tomato wedges without breaking them apart.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup with Star Anise

I like to serve this soup with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of really flavorful vinegar on each serving. It’s also delicious served cold, and it can be garnished with a few cooked shrimp, a mound of crabmeat, or a bit of goat cheese.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large onions (about 24 oz. total), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cubic inch fresh ginger (about 1/2 oz.), peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 4 oz. chopped)
• 2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• 7 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded; juices reserved
• 2 pods (or 1-1/2 tsp. broken pieces) star anise
• 1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar (optional)

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a 6-qt. soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots and sauté until very soft but not browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the broth and turn the heat to high. Add the roasted peppers and any reserved juices, as well as the star anise, salt, pepper, and cayenne. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Purée the soup 2 cups at a time in a blender, with all the basil leaves going in the blender along with the first 2 cups of soup. Purée each batch of soup in the blender for at least 1 min. (Vent the lid and hold a folded dishtowel over the lid to prevent leaks.) Combine all the puréed soup in one container, taste, and add more salt and pepper to bring all the flavors into balance. (For a thinner soup, strain through a wide-mesh sieve.) Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar.

Four-Layer Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream & Mixed Berries

• 1 recipe Vanilla Butter Cake
• 1 recipe raspberry Whipped-Cream Frosting (see variations at bottom of the recipe)
• 6-1/4 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)

Level the cakes, if necessary, and slice each cake into two layers, making a total of four layers of cake.

Place the bottom layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while assembling the cake. Top the layer with a scant 1-1/2 cups whipped cream, spreading the cream to the edges of the cake with a metal cake spatula so that it’s almost dripping over the sides. Top with 1-1/2 cups berries, making sure some of the berries are around the edges of the cake so you can see them between the layers.

Repeat with the next two layers. For the final layer, spread about 1-1/2 cups whipped cream on top of the cake with the spatula. Arrange the berries artfully on top of the cream.

Basil Pesto

This recipe is easily doubled.

• 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 cups packed basil leaves
• 1/4 cup ice water
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably a fruity one

Bring 2 qt. water seasoned with 1 Tbs. of the salt to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, set up an ice bath by combining ice and water in a medium bowl.

Put the basil in the boiling water, pressing it gently under the water, and cook for just 2 or 3 seconds. Quickly remove the basil from the water (a Chinese strainer works great here) and plunge it immediately into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let cool completely for 2 minutes.

Remove the basil from the ice bath and squeeze it lightly with your hands or in a clean dishtowel to remove most of the excess water.

Chop the basil coarsely with a sharp knife and then put it in a blender. Add the 1/4 cup ice water, the garlic, the pine nuts, the cheese, the remaining 1 tsp. salt, and the pepper. Blend until the basil is coarsely puréed, scraping down the sides and adding more water to facilitate blending only if needed. Be patient; don’t add more water if it isn’t necessary. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream until the pesto looks creamy and emulsified. Cover and store in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for up to a few months.

Chopping the basil speeds blending. Squeeze out the excess water first.

Sausage & Broccoli Raab Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce

A light and gently spicy tomato sauce is the ideal foil for ravioli filled with sausage, mozzarella, and broccoli raab.

For the sauce:

• 4 lb. fresh plum tomatoes (about 22), quartered
• 3 medium red onions (about 1 lb. total), very coarsely diced
• 16 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2 to 3 fresh jalapeños, quartered
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the filling:

• 1/2 lb. (about 1/2 bunch) broccoli raab
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage (casings removed), crumbled into bits
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1-1/4 oz. grated Pecorino Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
• 1/4 lb. smoked or regular mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch dice (to yield 3/4 cup)

• 1 lb. Ravioli Pasta Dough
• 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
• Semolina flour or fine cornmeal to dust the pan
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish

To make the sauce:

Heat the oven to 450°F. In a nonreactive roasting pan (not aluminum), combine the tomatoes, onions, crushed garlic, jalapeños, and oregano. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the onions and tomatoes are soft and slightly charred, about 1-1/2 hours.

Let the mixture cool and then pass it through a food mill fitted with a medium blade (or else through a medium-meshed sieve) to remove the seeds and cores. The sauce may be slightly chunky. If you want it smoother, purée it in a blender or food processor. Taste for salt and set aside.

To make the filling:

Boil about 4 cups salted water in a pot, add the broccoli raab, and parboil for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, but reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Chop the broccoli raab into very small pieces.

Heat the olive oil on medium high in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon into very small pieces. Add the garlic, red chile flakes, broccoli raab, salt, and pepper. Add the 1/4 cup of reserved broccoli raab cooking liquid and simmer until the sausage is cooked and the broccoli raab is tender, about 4 minutes. There should be no more than 2 Tbs. liquid left in the pan. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. The cooled mixture should be moist but not wet, so if there’s excess liquid in the bowl, drain it off. Mix in the 1-1/4 oz. Pecorino and the diced mozzarella.

To roll out and stuff the pasta dough:

Divide the ravioli dough into four equal pieces. Wrap three in plastic and return to the refrigerator. Flatten the fourth piece of dough with your hand (flour it lightly if necessary), and run it through the widest setting on your pasta machine twice. Set the rollers to the next narrower setting. Pass the dough through twice. Continue notching down by one setting and passing the dough through two times (the first pass roughs up the dough; the second pass smooths it out).

As the dough lengthens and thins, it will bunch up under the machine. Rectify this by gently lifting it out and folding it neatly behind the  machine. When you can just see the shape and shadow of your hand through the dough sheet (it should be about 1/32 inch thick), stop rolling. You may not need to go to the narrowest setting

Cut the sheet in half crosswise and trim the sides to make two neat rectangles, one slightly larger than the other. On the smaller sheet, spoon mounds of 1 to 2 tsp. of the filling, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inch between each mound. (For smaller ravioli, use less filling in each mound and space them more closely; for larger ravioli, use more.) Brush a little beaten egg yolk on the dough around each mound of filling.

Lay the second sheet of dough on top, draping it gently over the mounds without stretching it. Starting at one edge, gently press around the filling to push out any air pockets and seal the sheets.

Cut the pasta in between the mounds to form individual squares or circles with a scalloped pastry wheel or a ravioli stamp (if you don’t have either of these, try a biscuit cutter or a paring knife). Press on the mounds a bit to slightly flatten them and on the edges to confirm the seal. Roll out, fill, and cut any remaining dough the same way.

When ready to serve, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Gently slide the chilled or frozen ravioli into the water and cook until they float and are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the roasted tomato sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water from the pasta pot.

Drain the ravioli and toss with the sauce. Spoon onto a large serving platter or individual plates, sprinkle with Pecorino, and serve.

Strawberry-Orange-Vanilla Breakfast Smoothie

Not only do we like this for breakfast, but we’ve also been known to whip one up in the test kitchen when we need a little pick-me-up during a busy day of recipe testing and food styling. You’ll be surprised to taste how smooth, creamy, and tangy it is, especially considering that it contains no yogurt or other dairy products.Find this and other smoothies in our Drinks and Entertaining Guide.

• 8 frozen strawberries
• About 1/4 lb. plain silken tofu
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 2 Tbs. honey; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve in a chilled glass.

Fettuccine with Arugula-Walnut Pesto

• 4 oz. arugula, washed and spun dry (about 3 lightly packed cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano; more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1 lb. dried fettuccine

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, put the arugula, Parmigiano, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt into a food processor, and process until the mixture is finely ground, 30 to 60 seconds. In a measuring cup, combine the olive oil and walnut oil. With the food processor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube, and process the mixture until mostly smooth.

Cook the fettucine in the boiling water until it’s al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain. In a medium bowl, toss the fettucine with enough of the pesto to generously coat the pasta. Serve sprinkled with extra Parmigiano, if desired.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup with Star Anise

I like to serve this soup with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of really flavorful vinegar on each serving. It’s also delicious served cold, and it can be garnished with a few cooked shrimp, a mound of crabmeat, or a bit of goat cheese.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large onions (about 24 oz. total), chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cubic inch fresh ginger (about 1/2 oz.), peeled and chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 4 oz. chopped)
• 2 qt. homemade or low-salt chicken broth
• 7 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded; juices reserved
• 2 pods (or 1-1/2 tsp. broken pieces) star anise
• 1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
• Pinch cayenne
• 12 leaves fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar (optional)

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a 6-qt. soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and carrots and sauté until very soft but not browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the broth and turn the heat to high. Add the roasted peppers and any reserved juices, as well as the star anise, salt, pepper, and cayenne. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Purée the soup 2 cups at a time in a blender, with all the basil leaves going in the blender along with the first 2 cups of soup. Purée each batch of soup in the blender for at least 1 min. (Vent the lid and hold a folded dishtowel over the lid to prevent leaks.) Combine all the puréed soup in one container, taste, and add more salt and pepper to bring all the flavors into balance. (For a thinner soup, strain through a wide-mesh sieve.) Serve with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar.

Fettuccine with Arugula-Walnut Pesto

• 4 oz. arugula, washed and spun dry (about 3 lightly packed cups)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano; more for sprinkling
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1 lb. dried fettuccine

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, put the arugula, Parmigiano, walnuts, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 tsp. salt into a food processor, and process until the mixture is finely ground, 30 to 60 seconds. In a measuring cup, combine the olive oil and walnut oil. With the food processor running, drizzle the oil through the feed tube, and process the mixture until mostly smooth.

Cook the fettucine in the boiling water until it’s al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain. In a medium bowl, toss the fettucine with enough of the pesto to generously coat the pasta. Serve sprinkled with extra Parmigiano, if desired.

Vanilla Butter Cake

• Nonstick cooking spray for the pan
• 10-1/2 oz. (2-3/4 cups) cake flour
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3-3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. table salt
• 6 oz. (12 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup whole or low-fat milk, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat two 9x2-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment.

Sift the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed (#2 on a KitchenAid mixer) until the ingredients are well combined.

Add the softened butter pieces and mix on low speed for 20 to 30 seconds to mix the butter into the dry ingredients—the mixture should look a little lumpy, with the largest lumps being about the size of a hazelnut. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed (#5 on a Kitchen Aid) for 1 min. to thoroughly blend the ingredients and aerate the batter. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed for about 15 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after the second egg.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans. Use a small offset spatula or spoon to spread the batter evenly in each pan. Bake until the cakes are golden brown and the tops feel firm but spring back a little when tapped lightly with a finger, and a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 min. Set the pans on a rack, run a table knife around the edge of each cake and let cool in the pans for 30 min. Invert the cakes onto the rack, lift the pans, peel off the parchment, and let the cakes cool completely before filling and frosting. 

Four-Layer Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream & Mixed Berries

• 1 recipe Vanilla Butter Cake
• 1 recipe raspberry Whipped-Cream Frosting (see variations at bottom of the recipe)
• 6-1/4 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)

Level the cakes, if necessary, and slice each cake into two layers, making a total of four layers of cake.

Place the bottom layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while assembling the cake. Top the layer with a scant 1-1/2 cups whipped cream, spreading the cream to the edges of the cake with a metal cake spatula so that it’s almost dripping over the sides. Top with 1-1/2 cups berries, making sure some of the berries are around the edges of the cake so you can see them between the layers.

Repeat with the next two layers. For the final layer, spread about 1-1/2 cups whipped cream on top of the cake with the spatula. Arrange the berries artfully on top of the cream.