Mel's Never Fail Strawberry Sponge
Ingredients
For the cake -
285g self-raising flour
2½ tsp baking powder
285g margarine
285g caster sugar
5 eggs
For the filling -
250g fresh strawberries
300ml double cream
100g icing sugar
Method
1. Heat oven to 180C, 160C(fan), Gas 4.
2. Butter and line 2 x 8" cake deep cake tins.
Sift flower and baking powder in to a large bowl. Add margarine, caster sugar and eggs, and beat until smooth and creamy.
Divide the mixture between the tins, then lift each tin up about 4" from a work top and drop them (yes, really!). Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. When the cakes are done, cool for 5 mins then turn on to a cooling rack. Leave to cool completely.
3. For the filling, chop half of the strawberries in to small pieces and set to one side.
Pour the cream in to a large bowl, and sift the icing sugar in to it. Whisk until soft peaks form.
Remove 4-5 tbsp of cream and set to one side. Fold the chopped strawberries in to the remaining cream, and use to sandwich the two cakes together.
Add the last of the cream to the top of the
cake, and add the rest of the strawberries
to the top of that.
