Strawberries & Cream Cake

I'm trying hard to be healthy at the moment but that always goes straight out of the window when there's a birthday or special event. I can't deprive others of cake to suit my own needs now, can I? And since I've baked it, I may as well have a slice...

I normally like something a bit more decorative for birthdays but I was working on limited time so I opted for this strawberries & cream cake - simple but oh so good! Traditionally, the strawberries are sandwiched in the middle but I like how they look when they're placed on top of the cake.

I made the sponge using a standard Victoria sponge recipe. The top is slathered with delicious cream. I used a spoon to smooth it out a bit but it doesn't need to be perfect as the strawberries will be placed on top anyway. For me, I think that a nice thick layer of cream makes it delicious, even moreso when it's been in the fridge overnight. In the middle of the 2 sponges lies a yummy mix of strawberry jam and the leftover cream. Delicious!

This is an easy to make cake but the cream is where it can go wrong so easily. I don't like anything too sweet so it says a lot coming from me when I say that something isn't sweet enough. All too often I've tried cakes that look similar to this but the cream tastes so bland and perhaps a bit too fluffy. The cream is key to making this cake. Always purchase double cream and never use whipped cream from a can! Always whip it yourself using an electric whisk! I don't have a set amount of sugar that I put in, I normally add as I go along and taste to test because I tend to alter it depending on who I'm baking for but it's a good idea to measure it out so you have something to go on the next time round. Double cream is often quite bland so always add sugar of some sort unless your cream has been pre-sweetened. Not having any sugar in the cream is a big no-no for this cake!

Strawberries and cream go so well together and this is my go-to cake of choice when I don't have much time to whip up something more extravagant.

What I used

Sponge: 

170g self-raising flour

170g butter

150g caster sugar

1 tsp bsking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 medium-sized eggs

Filling & top:

125ml double cream

Sugar to taste 

Fresh strawberries

Strawberry jam

What do you think of this cake?

Let me know if you try it out yourself!