STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Stir together sliced strawberries & 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Let stand, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
• Beat 1 and 1/2 cups sugar and oil at medium speed w/ electric mixer until blended.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
• Add flour to oil mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, then beat in vanilla extract.
• Grease a 15 x 10" jellyroll pan & pour batter into pan.
• Bake @ 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan & cool completely on wire rack.
• Cut cake into 12 rounds w/ a 3" biscuit cutter, and set rounds aside.
• Heat 1 and 1/2 cups whipping cream and vanilla bean pieces over medium-high heat in a heavy saucepan, stirring often. Bring to a simmer (do not boil), then reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, cool in pan until vanilla beans are cool enough to handle. Strain cream and reserve vanilla beans.
• Return cream to saucepan and squeeze seeds from vanilla beans into it. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.
• Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Gradually stir in 1/4 of hot cream mixture into yolks; add to remaining cream mixture in pan, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat & cool in fridge.
• Place 1 cake round on each serving plate. Top w/ strawberries & custard. Top w/ second cake round and more strawberries. Top w/ whipped cream and a whole strawberry.