Strawberries and Cream Sponge Cake

30 minutes - 35 minutes

This recipe is from Delia's Cakes.

This may look a little complicated, but in fact the final result makes it so much easier to serve for a party.

The Delia Online Cookery School: For more sponge cake recipes, click the image to play.

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

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About the Strawberries and Cream Sponge?

Asked by: West

Dear Lindsey, Just a technical point regarding the Strawberry and Cream Sponge Cake. I note that the sponge is baked in one piece and cut into two, rather than dividing the mix into two tins and baking separately. I was wondering if there is any advantage in making the sponge this way. Regards Alan

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Alan, In this particular recipe it works better with regards to portion size and the ratio of filling to sponge. If you split a 2 egg sponge between 2 by 8 inch sandwich tins each sponge will be much thinner and likely to be dry but the 2 egg sponge baked in one tin bakes perfectly in one 8 inch sandwich tin. Best wishes Lindsey

Method

Begin by sifting the flour and baking powder into a large roomy bowl, lifting the sieve high to give the flour an airing.

Now just add all the other ingredients and, using an electric hand whisk, whisk for about one minute until you have a smooth creamy mixture that drops off a spoon easily. Next, spoon the mixture into the tin, levelling it with the back of the spoon, and bake near the centre of the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the centre feels springy. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes before loosening the edge with a palette knife and turning it out onto a cooling rack. Now peel off the liner, turn the cake upright and let it get quite cold.

To serve the cake, first whisk the cream in a large bowl until stiff. Next you need to place the cake on a flat surface and using a serrated knife carefully split it horizontally into two thin halves. Now, leaving the two halves stacked one on top of the other, divide the cake into quarters, then each quarter into two (so you have 8 wedges of sponge cake). Remove the top layer of wedges and arrange the bottom layer on a serving dish, re-forming it into a round. Weigh out 200g of the hulled strawberries, and whizz them to a purée with one dessertspoon of caster sugar. Now, spread half the cream over the cake and top with the remaining hulled strawberries (slicing any large ones in half and making sure the berries round the edges are showing).

Spoon over the purée and cover with the other half of the cream, then re-form the top layer, making sure it lines up with the base. Dust the whole thing with icing sugar, then cut the reserved strawberries in quarters through the stalk and use to decorate the top of the cake.

Watch Delia's Classic Sponge Cake (used in this recipe), and other sponge cakes being made in our Cookery School Video.

Ingredients

115g self-raising flour

½ level teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

115g spreadable butter

115g golden caster sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

200ml double cream

350g strawberries, hulled (apart from two of them)

1 dessertspoon caster sugar

a little icing sugar (to finish)

Equipment

You will also need a Delia Online 20cm x 4cm Round Loose-based Sponge Tin, or similar, lightly greased and base lined, plus a cooling rack

The Delia Online Bakeware range is now available online, and you can buy our 20cm Round Sponge Tin with loose-base, and washable, reusable liners direct from Silverwood

Click here for the liners
Click here for the tin