Strawberry Sponge Cake
This is a cake for strawberry season: a tall, airy sponge, a light mascarpone cream and berries in every layer. The sponge rises on whipped eggs alone, with no baking powder, so the whisking time is not something to skimp on. We like the strawberries fully ripe and fragrant, which means the syrup needs very little sugar.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 3 h
- Total
- 4 h 20 min
- Servings
- 10
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 420 kcal
Ingredients
For the sponge
For the syrup
For the cream and filling
Makes: 1 cake, 22 cm, 10 slices
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Whisk eggs and sugar
Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line the base of a 22 cm springform with baking paper, leaving the sides ungreased. Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 8–10 minutes, until tripled in volume, almost white, and a ribbon falling from the whisk sits on the surface for 3–4 seconds.
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Step 2: Fold in the flour
Sift the flour over the egg mixture in three additions, folding each in gently from the bottom up with a spatula until no dry pockets remain. Work quickly and lightly to keep in the air.
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Step 3: Bake the sponge
Pour into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, without opening the door for the first 25. It's done when evenly golden, springy to the touch and a skewer comes out dry. Run a knife around the edge and cool on a rack for at least an hour.
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Step 4: Make the syrup
Bring the water and sugar to the boil so the sugar dissolves, cool, then stir in the lemon juice.
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Step 5: Whip the cream
Briefly beat the cold mascarpone with the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour in the cold cream and whip for 2–3 minutes to firm peaks that hold their shape.
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Step 6: Prepare the strawberries
Rinse the strawberries, dry them on a towel and hull them. Slice about 300 g for the filling and leave the rest whole or halved for the top.
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Step 7: Assemble the cake
Slice the sponge into three layers. Brush each with syrup, spread with cream, cover with sliced strawberries and add a little more cream on top. Cover the cake with the rest of the cream and chill for at least 2 hours, then pile the whole berries on top just before serving.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Did the sponge sink? Usually the eggs were under-whipped or the oven door was opened too soon. The whisking time is your raising agent, so don't cut it short.
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Tip
Make sure the strawberries for the filling are completely dry; water from the berries thins the cream and makes the layers soggy.
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Variation
Swap some of the strawberries for raspberries or blueberries, about 100 g of berries per layer.
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Storage
The cake keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add the fresh berries on top just before serving so they don't weep.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 10 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 420 kcal | 4,200 kcal |
| Protein | 7 g | 70 g |
| Fat | 23 g | 230 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 g | 450 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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