Makes 1 cake
INGREDIENTS
30g unsalted butter
60g plain flour
45ml milk
1 egg
3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
75g caster sugar
260g whipping cream
45ml syrup (boil 30g sugar in 30ml water until the mixture thickens slightly)
10 large strawberries, 6 diced and 4 halved
DIRECTIONS
1 Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Line a 23cm by 30cm baking pan with baking paper.
2 Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat, sift in the flour, and mix well.
3 Add 15ml milk and mix well. Repeat, adding 15ml milk at a time. Cook over medium heat for 30 seconds until the mixture turns yellow. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl.
4 In another bowl, mix the whole egg and 3 egg yolks together. With a hand mixer, blend in of the milk mixture. Repeat, using of the milk mixture at a time.
5 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a hand mixer until it resembles beer foam. Add 15g sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add 30g sugar and whisk until stiff peaks form to make a meringue.
6 Fold half of the meringue into the milk-egg mixture. Beat in the remaining meringue for about 10 seconds, then fold it in gently until incorporated.
7 Pour the batter into the lined baking pan and spread it evenly. Gently tap the base a few times to remove air bubbles, and bake for 20-25min.
8 Whip the cream and 30g sugar until soft peaks form to make the whipped cream.
9 When the cake has cooled, spread cling film over the top and tip it out. Remove the baking paper.
10 Brush the syrup over the top of the cake. Spread half of the whipped cream on the cake with a scraper, then top with diced strawberries.
11 Roll the sponge cake as tightly as possible into a log.
12 Top the cake with the rest of the whipped cream and decorate with the halved strawberries. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
TIP: Use the whipping cream straight from the fridge so it’s cold and holds well when it’s whipped.
This article was originally published in Simply Her March 2014.