Let’s Go A Strawberry Feasting!

Strawberries awaken fond memories of red stained hands, balmy sunny days, playing carefree with friends and my mother watching Wimbledon tennis on the television. Even holiday times spent in Devon/Cornwall, taking cream teas of sweet scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, and a huge pot of tea. This is reminiscing of my childhood and I smile fondly of good times gone by.

In my part of England we are still waiting for our own strawberries but I could not resist buying out of season and bringing a little of summer into my home.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this cake, it certainly is irresistible on taste. Now who could resist strawberries, jam and cream engulfed in a light sponge, oh boy not I that is for sure!

Strawberry Cream Sponge Cake

Ingredients
175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
1½ tsp baking powder
175g (6 oz) softened butter
3 large eggs, at room temperature
175g (6 oz) caster sugar (super fine)
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For The Filling and Decoration
120ml (4 fl oz) double cream (heavy cream)
4 large tbsp good quality strawberry jam
300g (11 oz) ripe strawberries, hulled
1 tbsp icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

You will require 2 x20cm (2 x 8in) round cake tins. Grease with a little butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan oven 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large bowl, and then add the butter, caster sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Beat together until mixed, trying not to over mix the mixture. Spoon the mixture equally into the prepared round cake tins. Bake in the preheated oven on a middle shelf for about 25 -30 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn them out to completely cool on a wire rack.

Whisk the cream to a firm consistency for the filling. Place one sponge cake onto a serving plate and spread with the strawberry jam, followed by the whipped cream and a few of the strawberries sliced. Place the second sponge on top. Arrange a few strawberries over the top and dust with icing sugar. Serve on the day you bake this due to the fresh cream.

Lastly, cut into the cake, arm yourself with a slice, and enjoy that summer feeling of red ripe strawberries!

I am sending my Strawberry Cream Sponge Cake to a ‘dear’ fellow blogger Happy Cook- whom I affectionately call H.C. You can find H.C. @ My Kitchen Treasures who is hosting a great event called Strawberry Feasts! Now if you would like to partake in this event do call by H.C.’s blog to find out more details.