Valentine’s Day strawberries and cream cake

Name: Valentine's Day strawberries and cream cake
Total time: 50 min
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients: unsalted butter 175g, softened; golden caster sugar 175g; eggs 3, large; self-raising flour 175g; baking powder 1 tsp; vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp; strawberry jam 4 tbsp; double or whipping cream 284ml carton; icing sugar 2 tbsp, sifted; vanilla pod 1, seeds scraped out or 1 tsp vanilla extract; pink or red coloured granulated sugar (usually found in tubs with mixed cake decorations in most supermarkets)

50 minutes + cooling time
serves 8
A little effort

A classic sponge with sweet strawberry jam and fresh vanilla cream – decorate it with a heart shape if you want to push the boat out for Valentine’s Day.

February 14, 2017 at 11:00 am

Ingredients

unsalted butter 175g, softened
golden caster sugar 175g
eggs 3, large
self-raising flour 175g
baking powder 1 tsp
vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp

filling and topping

strawberry jam 4 tbsp
double or whipping cream 284ml carton
icing sugar 2 tbsp, sifted
vanilla pod 1, seeds scraped out or 1 tsp vanilla extract
pink or red coloured granulated sugar (usually found in tubs with mixed cake decorations in most supermarkets)

Method

Step 1

Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and base line two 18cm sandwich tins. Beat all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Divide between the tins and level out. Bake for 20–25 minutes until they are well risen and spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then turn out onto a rack and peel away the paper. Cool completely.
Step 2

Spread the jam onto the base of one sponge. Lightly whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla seeds and spread half of it over the top of the jam. Sandwich the other sponge on top. Spread the remaining cream over the top with a palette knife.
Step 3

Make a heart shape in the centre of the cake by making a cone with some greaseproof paper, pouring in the sugar, snipping off the tip and using like a pen.