STRAWBERRY & PASSIONFRUIT LAYER CAKE

PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES (+ COOLING) SERVES 12

250g butter, softened

2 cups (440g) caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs

2 cups (300g) plain flour

¼ cup (35g) self-raising flour ¾ cup (180ml) milk

750g strawberries

1 tablespoon icing sugar PASSIONFRUIT CREAM

600ml thickened cream 2 tablespoons icing sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) passionfruit pulp

MERINGUE FROSTING

2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar 1 tablespoon glucose syrup 2 tablespoons water

3 egg whites

1 tablespoon caster sugar, extra

1 Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan. Grease three 20cm round sandwich cake pans; line bases with baking paper. 2 Beat butter, sugar and extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in sifted flours and milk, in two batches. Divide the mixture evenly among pans.

3 Bake cakes for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into each centre comes out clean. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side down, onto wire racks to cool.

4 Meanwhile, make passionfruit cream. 5 Reserve 10 of the strawberries; thinly slice remaining strawberries. Split the cold cakes in half. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand; spread with one-fifth of the passionfruit cream, top with one-fifth of the sliced strawberries, then with another cake layer. Repeat layering, finishing with a cake layer.

6 Make meringue frosting.

7 Spread frosting over top and side of cake. Just before serving, decorate with reserved strawberries and dust with sifted icing sugar.

PASSIONFRUIT CREAM

Beat cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Using a whisk, stir in sifted icing sugar and passionfruit.

MERINGUE FROSTING

Stir sugar, glucose and the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.

Bring to the boil; boil for 3 minutes or until the syrup reaches 116°C on a sugar thermometer (or when a teaspoon of syrup, dropped into a cup of cold water, forms a soft ball when a small amount of mixture is rolled between your fingers). Remove the syrup from heat to allow bubbles to subside. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; beat in the extra sugar until dissolved. While motor is operating, pour in the hot syrup in a thin, steady stream; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until meringue mixture is thick.