This sponge cake base is super moist, light and fluffy. It’s almost hard to believe that have only 4 basic ingredients. To make the sponge cake, you’ll need: eggs, flour, sugar, and baking powder.
For the frosting, you’ll need: cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream, and some butter.
How To Make Homemade Strawberry Filling?
Season of fresh strawberries is perfect time to try this recipe.
This cake has fresh strawberries on top and cooked strawberry filling in the center. Don’t let that put you off, it’s really easy to make.
In a heavy saucepan combine a half of the diced strawberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes until the strawberries burst and the juice forms.
Then stir the mixture of light brown sugar and corn-starch into the strawberry mixture. Add remaining strawberries and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Once the mixture has thickened, remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. You can make the strawberry sauce in advance and store in the fridge.
Although, the filling has added sugar, not just the sweetness from the strawberries, the cake itself is not overly sweet. It is light and airy, extremely moist and just sweet enough.
How To Make The Sponge Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting?
The frosting is super simple to make. First make homemade whipped cream. Beat cold heavy whipping cream on high speed for 1-2 min, add ¼ cup of powdered sugar and mix until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In another bowl beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and mix untill smoth and creamy. Fold in whipped cream.
Beat eggs for 1 min on high speed. With the mixer on, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating on high speed 8 min, or until pale yellow, thick and fluffy.
Sift flour in thirds into the batter, folding gently with a spatula between each addition. Scrap the bottom of the bowl to ensure you don’t have pockets of flour at the bottom. Do not over-mix or you could deflate the batter.
If you have baking stripes, I suggest you to use it, to make sure the cake layers are flat, not domed.
Divide batter equally between three prepared cake pans, smooth the tops and bake at 350˚F about 20-25 minutes , or until top is golden and springs back when poked slightly.
How to Assemble the Cake?
Place the first cake layer on a serving dish. Spread half of strawberry filling, but don’t go all the way to the edges, leave about ½ inch rim without the filling.
Spread about 1/2 cup frosting on the second cake layer , invert the filled side down and place it over the first layer so the strawberries and cream be next to each other.
Spread another half of strawberry filling. Again, spread about 1/2 cup frosting on the third cake layer, invert the filled side down and place it over the strawberry filling. Reserve 1 cup of frosting for decoration.
Spread remaining frosting over the cake and place in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.
To decorate the cake pipe remaining frosting around the cake, and arrange sliced strawberries on top.
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.