Homemade Strawberry Cake Recipe

Start with the sponge cake: Whip the eggs with the sugar in a mixer at maximum speed. The mixture should whiten and triple in volume; this process takes about 10 minutes depending on the mixer. Gradually sift in the flour and gently fold it in with a spatula to avoid deflating the mixture. Pour into a greased and floured 20 cm pan. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes. The sponge cake is done when it has a nice golden color, has a slight resistance to touch, and shows a slight shrinkage of the edges. Allow the sponge cake to cool slightly before unmolding it onto a wire rack.

Prepare the soaking syrup: In a small saucepan, heat the water, grenadine, and sugar. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and add the cherry brandy, set aside.

Prepare the mousseline cream: Make a pastry cream by heating the milk with a split vanilla pod. In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the flours. When the milk boils, pour it into the bowl, mix well, and return it to low heat for 2-3 minutes while stirring continuously to thicken the cream. Reserve the pastry cream in a large dish to cool faster, covering it directly. When the pastry cream is at room temperature, place the butter (which should be well softened, I insist) in the bowl of the mixer fitted with the whisk. Beat at high speed to "cream" it, then gradually add the pastry cream. Beat everything for a few minutes until the mixture is well aerated and light.

Assembling: Cut the sponge cake in half horizontally so that both parts are equal. Place a serrated knife at the edge of the cake, in the middle, and cut while rotating the cake. You now have two sponge cakes. Keep the first one at this size (20 cm) and cut the other one to be about 16.5 cm in diameter. Prepare a 20 cm diameter cake ring, lining the sides with a strip of plastic wrap. Place one sponge cake (the 20 cm one) at the bottom of the ring. Cut the strawberries in half lengthwise. Feel free to trim the strawberries so they are all the same height. Place the halved strawberries along the sides of the mold, cut side facing outwards. Generously soak the sponge cake with syrup using a brush. Cover with part of the mousseline cream and then place the second sponge cake (the smaller one) on top of the cream. Soak this sponge cake again, and place a few finely chopped strawberries on top. Cover with the remaining mousseline cream, smoothing it out (you can use a small spatula, warmed in hot water if needed). Refrigerate until serving.

A little before serving (I would say no more than an hour), spread a thin layer of pink marzipan between two sheets of parchment paper. (the marzipan tends to sweat in the fridge) Remove the top sheet and flip over the bottom sheet, placing the marzipan on the cake. Roll it out to cut the marzipan. It will settle perfectly cut onto the cake.

For the decoration, I used sliced strawberries and melted white chocolate.

To finish, find this recipe and many others on my blog.