Single-Layer Strawberry Cake

With the onset of summer, the best way to beat the heat is to bake yourself a refreshing treat! This recipe promises to do justice to your fresh produce as well as minimise your time in the kitchen.

The almost dry, crumby consistency of the cake is balanced perfectly by the juicy strawberries and rich whipped cream.

The Vanilla Cake is made using a reversing creaming method which starts by combining the dry ingredients and ends with the eggs instead of the traditional method that begins with creaming the butter and sugar together and ends with the incorporation of the dry ingredients. This method produces a lighter yet compact crumb.

The macerated strawberries can also be swapped with a strawberry compote if it is available in your pantry.

Ingredients for cake:

150g all purpose flour

130g castor sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

60g unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

120ml milk, room temperature

1 large egg

30ml vegetable oil

Ingredients for Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for macerated strawberry topping:

240g fresh strawberries

5 tbsp powdered sugar

Method to make macerated strawberries:

1. Clean your strawberries and hull them (remove the green leafy part as well as the tough bit in the center) using a sharp paring knife.

2. Depending on the size of your strawberries, cut them into either halves or quarters.

3. Add the sliced strawberries into a large bowl.

4. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top of the strawberries and mix to combine. Allow them to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until the juices are released.

5. Refrigerate the mixture in an airtight container until further use.

Method to make vanilla cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C.

2. Grease and line one 7” round baking tin with parchment paper and set it aside.

3. Divide the milk into two small bowls, each containing 60ml of milk.

4. Into one of the milk bowls, add the egg and oil and whisk together until well combined.

5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

6. Add the sugar into the flour mixture and whisk until everything is combined evenly.

7. Add the cubed butter, vanilla essence and the (plain) 60ml of milk.

8. Whisk all the ingredients together until a wet mixture has formed.

9. Finally, add the second milk mixture (containing the egg and oil) in two additions, mixing well after each addition to form a smooth, relatively runny batter.

10. Ensure that you do not overmix the batter or else your cake will become dense.

11. Pour the batter into the lined tin and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden skewer that is inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

12. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before the assembly process.

Assembly:

1. Whip the cream until soft peaks have formed.

2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence and whip on a low speed for another two minutes until they are well incorporated.

3. Place the cooled cake on a cake stand.

4. Spread the entire whipped cream on the cake using an off-set spatula.

5. Finally, top the cake with the macerated strawberries and serve.

6. This cake remains fresh for five days while stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.