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1. Hull and roughly chop the strawberries. Place them in a small saucepan with the granulated sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 12–15 minutes until the berries have broken down into a thick, jammy compote. It should coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate until needed.
400 g Fresh or thawed frozen strawberries,
3 tbsp Granulated sugar,
1 tbsp Lemon juice
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2. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease two 20cm (8-inch) round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed for 4–5 minutes until the mixture is very pale, light, and fluffy — this aeration is key to a light sponge.
225 g Unsalted butter, softened,
225 g Caster sugar
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3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract. If the mixture begins to curdle, add a spoonful of flour to bring it back together.
4 piece Large eggs,
1 tsp Vanilla extract
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4. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder over the mixture. Fold in gently with a large spatula using figure-of-eight strokes until just combined — do not overmix. Add the whole milk and fold once more to loosen the batter to a soft, dropping consistency.
225 g Self-raising flour,
1 tsp Baking powder,
2 tbsp Whole milk
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5. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden, well-risen, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. The sponge should spring back lightly when pressed. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely — at least 45 minutes. Do not assemble while warm or the cream will melt.
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6. Whip the double cream with the icing sugar using an electric mixer until it holds soft, billowy peaks — stop before it becomes stiff or grainy. Place one cooled sponge, flat-side up, on a serving plate or cake stand.
300 ml Double cream (or heavy cream),
3 tbsp Icing sugar, for cream and dusting
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7. Spread the chilled strawberry compote generously over the bottom sponge, leaving a 1cm border at the edge. Dollop or pipe the whipped cream over the compote in an even layer. Carefully place the second sponge on top, flat-side down, and press very gently to settle.
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8. Dust the top generously with icing sugar just before serving. Serve at room temperature for the best flavour and texture — remove from the fridge 30 minutes before slicing if made ahead.
3 tbsp Icing sugar, for cream and dusting
