My strawberry sponge cake is a soft, fluffy, perfectly baked sponge cake filled and decorated with a thick layer of vanilla whipped cream and lots of fresh strawberries.
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F and line 2 round 20cm cake tins with parchment paper.
Cream the butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl until fluffy, and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
225 g butter, 225 g granulated sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Now, fold in the flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Divide it between the 2 cake tins.
225 g self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt
Bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Make the whipped cream
Pour the cream into a large bowl, add the vanilla and whisk until soft peaks form.
200 ml heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Now, fold in icing sugar.
¼ cup icing sugar
Assemble the cake
Place one of the cakes on a serving plate, spread over the cream, add the strawberries, and then top it with the second cake.
250 g fresh strawberries
Spread the remaining icing and arrange some strawberries on top.
Notes
Make sure to pat the strawberries dry with paper towels before adding them to the cake; otherwise, if they are wet, the cake may turn out a little soggy.
I know from experience that using fresh strawberries in baking is way better than frozen ones in taste and texture.
Self-rising flour can also be made by mixing all-purpose flour with baking powder.
When selecting strawberries for your cake, make sure to go for bright red, ripe strawberries with shiny skin for the best flavor.