GEORGIA’S TWO-TIER FRASIER CAKE

For the genoise sponge: 200g eggs (about 4) 40g egg yolk 150g caster sugar 150g plain flour 24g melted butter For the creme patisserie: 500ml milk 1 vanilla pod 80g egg yolk 120g caster sugar 40g plain flour 40g corn flour 300g softened butter TO DECORATE: 2 punnets fresh strawberries Extra fruit Icing sugar Sugar syrup (equal measures of caster sugar and water) Starting with the genoise, whisk together the eggs, yolk and sugar until ribbon stage (thick enough for you to write with it in the mixture).

Sift in half the flour and gently fold, then add the remaining flour. Once combined, add the melted butter and fold in.

Pour into two mousse rings (or cake tins with removable bases) - one eight inches and one four inches - and cook at 180C for 20 minutes, until the cake springs back and a knife comes out clean.

For the creme patisserie, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk and heat until it’s steaming. While it’s heating, whisk together the yolks and caster sugar until pale. Sift in both flours and whisk together to combine.

Pour half of the hot milk into the sugar/egg/flour and mix in, then add this mixture back to the milk pan where the rest of the milk already is, and whisk while cooking back on the heat. This will begin to thicken, so keep whisking until it starts to boil (you will see bubbles try to escape from the bottom!).

Take off the heat, transfer onto a tray, spread it flat, cover tightly with cling film and leave to cool. Once cool, whisk back up and gradually add the softened butter to achieve the correct consistency.

When the cake is cooked, remove from the tin and wash the tin ring up - you will need this for assembly.

Trim the top of the cooled genoise sponge so it’s flat, and keep this aside (try not to eat it!). Then, cut the remaining sponge cake in half, as neatly as possible so you now have two layers. Put one of the layers back in the mousse ring (which should now be on cake board to serve), press down and coat with sugar syrup.

Cut the stalks from the strawberries and cut in half lengthways. Arrange these around the rim of the mousse tin, facing outwards. Fill any gaps between the strawberries with the creme patisserie (a piping bag will help). Then spread out a generous layer of creme patisserie on the bottom.

With the spare trimming of the sponge, soak in sugar syrup and place in the centre. If any strawberries are left over, cut them into smaller cubes and gather them on top of this layer of sponge. Then add the remaining creme patisserie and cover all of the cake right up to the top of the tin.

When the creme patisserie is smoothed out, gently lift up the mousse ring, and the alignment of strawberries should be neat and visible. Now the top layer of genoise can be placed on top, with a quick dusting of icing sugar.