This recipe has a special place in my heart — I learned it shortly after we got married, and I baked it regularly for years before life got busier with kids. Recently, I made it again for my niece’s 15th birthday and it reminded me just how good a homemade cake can be. Lighter, fresher, and so much better than anything from a store. I’m making it a regular again, and I hope you will too.
Part 1 — Strawberry sauce
Ingredients
- Strawberries (quantity of your choice)
- ½ cup sugar
Method
- Soak the strawberries in a baking soda and water solution for 15 minutes, then rinse well. Slice off & discard the leafy tops. Now cut slices of the outer parts with the seeds — and set these aside in a covered glass container in the fridge. These will be used for decoration later.
- Roughly chop the remaining strawberries and place them in a saucepan with the sugar. Cover and cook over medium heat.
- While the sauce simmers, move on to making the sponge (see Part 2 below).
- After about 10 minutes, use a potato masher to break down the strawberries in the pan.
Note: Don’t let the sauce reduce too much — you’ll need it loose enough to soak into the sponge layers later.
Part 2 — The sponge (MIL’s recipe)
Ingredients
- 8 heaped serving spoons of flour
- 8 heaped serving spoons of sugar, finely ground
- 8 eggs, separated
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- A few drops of vanilla essence
Method
- Grind the sugar finely, then transfer it to a large flat plate or shallow bowl. Or use icing sugar.
- Separate the eggs with your fingers. Place the whites in a large mixing bowl and add the yolks to the plate with the sugar.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they begin to hold their shape. Add the vanilla essence, then the egg yolks and sugar. Continue beating for 5–7 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
- Gently fold in the flour mixture using a spoon — I do use mixer on low setting but we can’t overmix.
- Lightly grease your cake tin with oil. Pour in the batter to just under half the depth of the tin — the sponge will rise significantly.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the centre — it should come out clean.
Part 3 — Whipped cream
Ingredients
- ¼ litre (250ml) whipping cream
- Icing sugar, to taste
Method
- Chill a large stainless steel mixing bowl beforehand if possible — cold equipment helps the cream whip faster.
- Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and icing sugar together until the mixture is thick, fluffy, and holds firm peaks.
Part 4 — Assembly
- Once the sponge has cooled, use a cake leveller to slice it horizontally through the middle, creating two even layers. Place them cut-side up, side by side.
- Sponge cake is naturally dry, so moisten both layers before assembling. Spoon the strawberry sauce (liquid only, no chunks yet) over each half. If any dry patches remain, dissolve a tablespoon of sugar in a cup of milk and drizzle that on too. A splash of fruit juice works equally well.
- Place the bottom layer on your serving plate or cake board. Spoon all the strawberry chunks from the sauce evenly over the surface, then add a generous layer of whipped cream and spread it out to the edges.
- Place the top layer of sponge over the cream. Cover the entire cake — top and sides — with the remaining whipped cream, smoothing as you go to fill any gaps.
- Arrange the reserved fresh strawberry tops across the top of the cake, pressing them gently into the cream.
Topping variation
Want to switch things up? Skip the strawberry cream topping and go for a chocolate and strawberry combination instead. You can use the chocolate frosting from this brownie recipe as the base — it pairs beautifully with fresh strawberries on top.
I’d love to see how yours turns out! Tag me in your Instagram stories the next time you bake this — it truly makes my day seeing your creations. 🍓
