Chocolate strawberry cake

Ingredients

• 100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 250 g (8¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 170 g (6 oz/1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 45 g (1½ oz) dark cocoa powder
• 160 ml (5½ fl oz) full-cream milk
• 300 ml (10 fl oz) thickened cream
• 170 g (6 oz/½ cup) strawberry jam
• 500 g (17½ oz) strawberries, sliced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F). Lightly grease the sides of a 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

In a medium mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Add the vanilla then sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Stir gently to combine, then mix in the milk. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes. Cool completely before removing from the tin.

Whip the cream until stiff, then set aside.

Cut the cake into three layers. Place one layer onto a serving plate and spread with half the strawberry jam. Spread some whipped cream over the jam then top with a third of the strawberries. Repeat with the second layer then top with the last layer of cake. Spread the top and sides of the cake with cream and decorate with strawberries.

Recipe and image from Sweet Petite (Hardie Grant, $24.99, hbk). Words by Poh Ling Yeow. Picture by Sarah Rich. read our review here.

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