Naked strawberry sponge
INGREDIENTS FOR 1 X 20CM SPONGE ● 250G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED ● 300G GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR ● 4 EGG WHITES, LIGHTLY BEATEN ● 375G PLAIN FLOUR ● 1½TSP BAKING POWDER ● 200ML WHOLE MILK
● 1TBSP LEMON JUICE ● 1TSP LEMON ZEST FOR 1 X 14CM SPONGE ● 175G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED ● 200G GOLDEN CASTER SUGAR ● 3 EGG WHITES, LIGHTLY BEATEN
● 250G PLAIN FLOUR ● ¾TSP BAKING
POWDER ● 125ML WHOLE MILK ● ½TBSP LEMON JUICE ● ½TSP LEMON ZEST FOR THE BUTTERCREAM FOR THREE CAKES ● 300G UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
● 700G ICING SUGAR, SIFTED, PLUS EXTRA TO DUST ● 100ML DOUBLE CREAM ● 2TSP
VANILLA EXTRACT ● 1TBSP LEMON JUICE TO DECORATE ● 800G STRAWBERRIES
● 200G MIXED BERRIES
Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3. This cake is made up of 2 x 20cm sponges and 1 x 14cm sponge, so make each separately.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg whites, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Mix into the butter mixture in two helpings, adding half of the milk each time until combined. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Scrape into a loose-bottomed tin (20cm or 14cm, base and side greased and lined with parchment). Bake until springy to the touch. It will depend on how many cakes are in the oven at a time but the 14cm cake should take 1hr and the 20cm cakes 1hr 15min. Allow to cool in the tin then set aside on a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream, beat the butter in the bowl of a mixer until softened. Mix in the icing sugar, cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice until smooth.
Trim the sponges to level the tops then cut in half horizontally, set aside. Chop around ¾ of the strawberries, saving the smaller ones to decorate.
Spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the cut side of one of the 20cm sponges. Fill the piping bag with the buttercream and with a 0.5cm round nozzle, pipe a neat border around the edge. Fill the inside with strawberries level to the piped cream border, fill in any gaps with buttercream. Top with the other half of the sponge. Repeat with the other 20cm sponges.
Add a little buttercream to the centre of the cake and top with the upper half of the 14cm sponge. Spread a thin layer of the buttercream over the top, then equally space five of the strawberries around the edge of the sponge, tip facing outwards. Trim the under sides slightly to flatten so they stay in place. Pipe the buttercream so it weaves in and out of the strawberries, fill the middle with more buttercream. Lightly dust the remaining sponge, with icing sugar and place on top. Decorate with berries and fresh flowers.