Barbecue Lemon Strawberry Shortcake

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Make the loaf cake the day before as it will grill more easily if it is firmer. And always clean the barbecue extra well before cooking any sweet dishes.

LEMON LOAF CAKE

125g butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar 3 free-range eggs Finely grated zest of 2 lemons ½ cup sour cream

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

MACERATED STRAWBERRIES

2 punnets strawberries, hulled and sliced 2 tablespoons icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons Cointreau or Grand Marnier

TO SERVE

1 cup mascarpone or thickened cream

Cake: Heat oven to 170°C. Line a standard loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in lemon zest and sour cream.

Sift flour and baking powder over creamed mixture and stir just enough to combine. Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and bake for 45–55 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container until ready to grill.

Strawberries: In a small bowl, combine strawberries, sugar and liqueur. Toss well and set aside for 10 minutes until the strawberries are soft and juicy.

Preheat a clean barbecue to medium. Thickly slice the loaf cake. Toast slices of cake on the barbecue for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until grill marks appear and cake is warm.

To serve, top half the cake slices with a dollop of mascarpone and some juicy strawberries. Sandwich another slice of grilled cake on top. Serves 6-8