Strawberries, Scallions, and Springtime

Inside the Ingredients

By Nora Rae Pearl | May 3, 2025

As we get ready for the first crops of the season, there’s no time like the present to prep our kitchens with spring recipes. These showstoppers will remind you that the long winter wait was not in vain. As poet Anne Bradstreet once said, “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.”

For these savory scallion pancakes, seek out Second Spring Farm’s organic green onions (along with their impressive variety of other organic produce at Oryana on Tenth St. in Traverse City). And for a fresh take on an old favorite, there’s strawberry sponge cake. We sourced some of northern Michigan’s finest heavy cream from The Farmer’s Creamery available at Friske’s Farm Market in Ellsworth, and when the time comes, don’t forget to use local strawberries!

Scallion Pancakes

These Chinese-inspired chewy, yet crunchy, pancakes are a true spring treat.

Pancake Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup boiling water
12 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 1/2 cups finely sliced green onions, about 2 small bunches

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
4 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon gochujang paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

To make the pancakes: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Mix in the sesame oil and boiling water with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. The dough will be very hot at this point, so carefully knead until smooth, about five minutes. Cover tightly and allow to rest at room temperature for one hour.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Working one piece at a time, while leaving the remainder covered, roll to a 7 to 8-inch circle/oval shape on a lightly floured surface. Brush with 1 teaspoon oil, then sprinkle on 1/4 cup green onions. Roll up into a long log, then roll the log into a coil. Set aside and cover while you repeat this process with the remaining pieces. Let each coil rest at least 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each spiraled coil into a 5 to 6-inch circle. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Once hot, carefully add one pancake. Fry four to five minutes per side, flipping two or three times, until each side is nicely golden. Lower heat if browning too quickly to ensure the inside cooks through. Cool a few minutes on a wire rack lined with paper towel before devouring these with your homemade sauce.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cake

A light lemon cake filled with spring’s ruby jewel and topped with white chocolate cream.

Cake Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling Ingredients
3 cups strawberries, cut into small dice, frozen overnight
6 whole strawberries, set aside for top
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Whipped Cream Ingredients
4 oz. white chocolate, broken into small chunks
2 cups heavy cream
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature

To make the whipped cream: Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl, set aside. Bring 1 cup of the heavy cream to a simmer in a small pot. Pour over the chocolate. Let sit for five minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese. Chill at least five hours.

To make the filling: Place the frozen strawberries in a small pot with the brown sugar and a 1/4 cup of the water. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes, or until the strawberries are starting to swim and simmer in their own juices. Uncover, and continue to cook until reduced slightly, about five minutes. In a small cup, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of water and the cornstarch. Add to pot, and cook an additional minute until the mixture has thickened slightly. Take off the heat, and stir in the lemon juice. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

To make the cake: Line the bottom of a 8-inch springform pan (with a removable bottom) with parchment. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the middle. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a small pot over medium heat, heat the milk until it just comes to a simmer. Take off heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, 1 cup of the sugar, and lemon zest. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium for three to five minutes, until the mixture has more than doubled in size and is pale in color. Scrape down the sides. Slowly add the milk in a few additions while the mixer is running on low. Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour mixture in three batches, beating until just combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, gently fold to make sure there are no flour pockets in the batter. Set aside. Wash your mixer whisks thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites on medium-high until light and foamy, about one minute. Gradually add in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium-high until you have glossy, droopy, soft peaks, about three to five minutes. Fold in one-third of the egg white mixture into the batter until mostly combined. Add the rest of the egg white mixture, and gently fold it in until no streaks remain. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes, or until when gently poked the cake bounces back and makes a slight squishy sound. If you feel it is not done, bake an additional five minutes and check again. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife along the sides to loosen. Invert onto a plate, remove cake pan, then peel off parchment. Cut into three equal layers.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in the cream mixture, then whip until stiff peaks have formed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the cream cheese has been incorporated. Place into a piping bag with desired tip.

Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Pipe a thick layer of whipped cream along the edge. Fill the inside with half of the strawberry filling. Add the next cake layer and repeat. Add the final layer and decorate with remaining whipped cream. Mix 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tbsp. warm water in a small cup. Dip in the six strawberries that were set aside, then roll in sugar. Place atop the cake. Allow the cake to chill at least three hours before slicing—it will get better with time.