Simple homemade strawberry cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Sponge Cake (18 cm pan)
01 -
60g sifted flour
02 -
30g corn starch (cornflour)
03 -
3 large eggs
04 -
90g sugar
→ Soaking Syrup
05 -
80ml water
06 -
40g sugar
→ Buttercream Filling (20 cm mold)
07 -
450ml milk
08 -
100g sugar
09 -
60g corn starch (cornflour)
10 -
4 egg yolks
11 -
180g softened unsalted butter
12 -
1 vanilla pod, split in half
→ Topping
13 -
500g strawberries (or more as needed)
14 -
Fresh mint leaves as garnish
# Instructions:
01 -
Heat your oven to 180°C. Grease the sides of an 18 cm cake pan with removable borders. Use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl for about 10 minutes, until the mix triples in size and turns light and airy. Gently fold in the sifted flour and corn starch until fully blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 20 minutes. When done, place the sponge on a wire rack to cool after carefully removing it from the pan.
02 -
Combine water and sugar in a small pot. Let it boil, drop the heat to low, and simmer until it becomes slightly thick. Allow to cool fully.
03 -
Pour the milk into a large saucepan with the scraped seeds and the halved vanilla pod. Heat up the milk but don't let it boil. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale and creamy, then mix in the corn starch. Slowly add the warm milk into this while whisking nonstop, then return it to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until thickened, making sure the cream doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour it into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill until it's around 30-35°C, checking with a kitchen thermometer if needed.
04 -
As the cream cools, whip the softened butter in a mixer until fluffy. Add the cooled pastry cream to the butter a bit at a time, whipping until it's smooth and fluffy. Transfer it to a piping bag, if using.
05 -
Slice the strawberries in half for the cake's edge. Remove the tops of the rest but leave them whole.
06 -
Split the sponge into two even layers using a serrated knife. Use a brush to coat each layer with syrup. Line a 20 cm pastry ring with acetate tape and center the first sponge layer inside. Arrange halved strawberries along the ring's edge. Spread a generous layer of buttercream over the sponge, filling gaps between the strawberries. Toss whole strawberries into the cream, then spread more cream over them. Place the second sponge layer on top, press lightly with your hand, and add a final smooth layer of cream with an offset spatula.
07 -
Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. Once set, take off the ring and acetate, and top with a few sliced strawberries. Let it sit at room temp for about 20 minutes before slicing, so the cream softens nicely. Serve it up with some bubbly for a treat!
# Notes:
01 -
Optional almond paste cover: For a traditional touch, roll almond paste out to about 2 mm thickness and lay it over the cold cake just before serving.