Delicious Strawberry Gateau from scratch! This gorgeous vanilla cake layered with fresh cream and strawberries is perfect for special celebrations and easy to make.
5tbspsimple syrupor limoncello / your favourite liquer
2tspvanilla bean paste
Whipped cream
2tspsachet powdered gelatine
4tbspcold waterfor the gelatine
600ml(2 ½ cups) COLD heavy cream
125g(1 cup) icing sugar(powdered sugar)
2tspvanilla bean paste
To fill and decorate
85g(1 cup) toasted flaked almondsfor side of gateau
5tbspstrawberry jam
150g(1 cup) fresh strawberriesdivided
Instructions
Make the sponge layers
Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Mist 2 x 20cm (8 inch) cake pans with cake release and line with baking parchment. Spray the parchment too.
Put the flour, sugar, cornflour, baking powder, soda in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine the dry ingredients.
Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, butter and oil.
Start beating at lowest speed setting until ingredients come together. Increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth – about 30 seconds to one minute.
Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for 28-30 minutes or until the cakes are risen and coming away from the edges of the tin. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
Level the cake layers if needed and brush with the liquer or simple syrup.
Make the whipped cream
Sprinkle the gelatine powder over the water in a bowl. Leave it to swell (or "bloom"). Heat in the microwave (or a saucepan) for 5-10 seconds until liquid and cool.
Whisk the cold cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract until you have soft peaks.
Add the gelatine into the cream once it reaches soft peaks and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Don’t over whip the cream or it might curdle. Put the whipped cream in the fridge for 20 minutes before using.
Assemble the gateau
Slice half the strawberries into thin rounds to fill the cake and reserve the rest for the top. Stir the jam to soften.
Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe a ring of cream around the edge of the bottom cake layer.
Fill inside the ring with softened strawberry jam and then top with the sliced strawberries.
Pipe another layer of cream over the strawberries and level. Top with the second sponge layer. Smooth cream over the entire cake, reserving some cream to pipe over the gateau.
Press toasted flaked almonds over the side of the cake and chill in the fridge.
Pipe rosettes of the cream over the perimeter of the cake and fill the middle with sliced fresh strawberries. Serve immediately.
Notes
This cake is best eaten on the day it is assembled but will keep in the fridge for another day.
The gateau is easier to slice when chilled – allow for the cake to chill in the fridge for an hour or longer before serving.