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Ingredients
Speedy sponge cake
Lemon and vanilla cream-cheese cream
To assemble
Method
Speedy sponge cake
1.Preheat oven to 190°C. Lightly grease and line two 20-22cm round cake tins with baking paper.
2.Use an electric beater to beat sugar, vanilla and eggs in a large mixing bowl for 3 minutes on high speed, until pale, light and fluffy.
3.Add milk, melted butter, lemon zest and a pinch of salt, then sift in flour and baking powder and fold together using a large metal spoon until just combined – do not over-mix or the sponge will be tough.
4.Spoon mixture equally into tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until sponges spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes before removing.
Lemon and vanilla cream-cheese cream
5.In a bowl, use an electric beater to beat cream cheese, lemon juice, zest and vanilla until smooth. Add cream and icing sugar and continue beating for 2-3 minutes until mixture is like thick whipped cream; take care not to over-beat.
6.To assemble, mix jam with the boiling water to loosen. Place one sponge on a serving plate or cake stand. Drizzle with half the cream or liqueur and spread with one-third of jam. Roughly spread over half the cream-cheese cream and top with 1 punnet of sliced strawberries. Repeat with second sponge, adding cream or liqueur, jam and cream-cheese cream. Place second sponge on top of first. Pile with second punnet of halved or quartered strawberries. Drizzle with remaining jam.
Note
- Serves 8-10. – Measure flour by tipping it into cup. If you scoop it from the packet, you end up with too much flour! – You can make sponges a day ahead and keep in an airtight container in the pantry (not the fridge or they will dry out). NB: If sponges do dry out, they can be revived with a drizzle of cream, liqueur, or jam mixed with a little water. – You can make the cream-cheese cream up to a day in advance; keep well covered in the fridge. Add a little liquid cream to loosen the mixture slightly before spreading.
