I wanted to make a cake perfect for the summer and a real showstopper!
I decided to use fresh strawberries and fresh cream in this recipe as nothing says summer more than beautiful fresh strawberries.
It is a delicious light vanilla sponge filled with chopped strawberries and fresh cream and topped with sliced strawberries and more fresh cream.
To start pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan). Line and grease two 8” round loose bottomed tins.
Put all the cake ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until everything Is creamed together. Make sure there are no lumps of margarine visible.
Divide between the two prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes.
Check with a skewer or cake tester. If it comes out clean and the cake is coming away from the edges of the tin then it is ready.
Leave to cool in the tins then transfer to a cooling rack
While the cakes are cooling de-hull the strawberries. This means to remove the top of the strawberry with a small sharp knife.
Then cut them vertically into slices. I cut the smaller end slices into smaller pieces to put in the middle of the cake.
Then whip the cream, sieved icing sugar and vanilla until thick.
Transfer to a piping bag with a Wilton 1A nozzle.
Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and pipe round the edge working your way into the middle or spread the cream with a knife if you don’t have an icing set.
Then make another row on top of the row on the outside of the cake. This will keep the strawberries inside the cake.
Sprinkle on the smaller pieces of strawberry keeping the slices for the top. Save a few chopped strawberries for decoration.
Place the second cake on top and pipe one row around the outside as you did on the first cake.
Then pipe a circular swirl from the outside working inwards or smooth the cream all over the top with a knife.
Then starting on the outside place the strawberry slices round in circles until you get to the middle.
Sprinkle the saved chopped up strawberries in the middle to finish.
Strawberry and Fresh Cream Vanilla Cake
Sarah’s servings: 8-10
Sarah’s skill: Medium
Baking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake
225g Stork or baking spread
225g Caster sugar
225g Self raising flour
4 Large eggs
1tsp Vanilla extract
1tbsp Milk
Icing
600 ml Double cream
2 Tbsp Sieved icing sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
600g Fresh strawberries
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan). Line and grease two 8” round loose bottomed tins.
Put all the cake ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until everything Is creamed together. Make sure there are no lumps of margarine visible.
Divide between the two prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes. Check with a skewer or cake tester. If it comes out clean and the cake is coming away from the edges of the tin it is ready.
Leave to cool in the tins then transfer to a cooling rack.
While the cakes are cooling de-hull the strawberries and cut vertically into slices. I cut the smaller end slices into smaller pieces to put in the middle of the cake.
Then whip the cream, sieved icing sugar and vanilla until thick. Transfer to a piping bag with a Wilton 1A nozzle.
Place one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and pipe round the edge working your way into the middle or spread the cream with a knife if you don’t have an icing set.
Then make another row on top of the row on the outside of the cake.
Sprinkle on the smaller pieces of strawberry keeping the slices for the top. Save a few chopped strawberries for decoration.
Place the second cake on top.
Pipe a circular swirl from the outside working inwards or smooth the cream all over the top with a knife.
Then starting on the outside place the slices of strawberry round in circles until you get to the middle. Sprinkle the chopped up strawberries in the middle to finish.
Sarah’s extra slice…….
I used a Wilton 1A nozzle but you could use a star nozzle or just a knife or spatula.
Keep in the fridge as is is fresh cream and eat within 3 days.