Cream sponge
The secret to a good sponge is air, air and more air. The sugar and eggs need to be whisked for quite a while to add the volume that you need.
SERVES
8
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
18
MINUTES
Ingredients
150g self raising flour
150g caster sugar
5 eggs
For the filling and top
300ml cream
1 tsp maple syrup or runny honey
300g strawberries
Method
Line two 8in round tins with parchment and heat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.
Sieve the flour and set it aside.
Crack the eggs into a jug and whisk them lightly with a fork to combine the yolks and whites.
Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk until a generous trace is left behind when you remove the whisk from the mixture.
Fold the flour into the mixture, about a quarter at a time.
Scoop the cake mixture between your two tins.
Bake for about 18 minutes until the tops are golden and the centre of the cake is springy to the touch.
Once cool enough to handle, place the sponges onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
Add the maple syrup or honey to the cream and whip it until it forms very stiff peaks.
Wash and chop the strawberries keeping about a quarter for the top of the cake.
Swirl about two thirds of the cream onto the top of one of the sponges and add the chopped strawberries. Place the other sponge carefully on top. The cream should just start to peek out from underneath the top sponge.
Swirl the rest of the cream onto the top sponge and decorate it with the rest of the strawberries. Serve straight away. The cream will start to soften and go runny at room temperature and the sponge does not take too kindly to a fridge as it dries it out.
