Strawberry and vanilla cream cake

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 50 g dark cocoa powder
• 150 ml water
• 6 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 120 ml oil
• 1 teaspoon rum essence
• 280 g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the strawberry cream

• 500 g strawberries
• 80 g sugar
• 3 tablespoons starch

For the vanilla cream

• 6 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• 3 tablespoons starch
• 500 ml milk
• 200 g whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 15 g gelatin
• 50 ml water

For the decoration

• 300 g strawberries
• 3 sachets Tort-gelee cake glaze powder
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 750 ml strawberry or raspberry compote

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Stir the cocoa powder into the boiling water until smooth, then leave it to cool. 2. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff, gradually add 100 g of the sugar and beat until you have a glossy meringue that forms peaks when you lift the beaters. 3. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining 100 g of sugar until pale. Mix in the oil, rum essence and cooled cocoa mixture. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder, then fold in the meringue in 2-3 batches. 4. Pour the batter into a 30 x 20 cm pan lined with baking paper. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the sponge feels firm to the touch. Leave it to cool on a wire rack for 60 minutes. 5. Wash the strawberries for the cream, dry them well and cut them into 2-3 pieces. Put them in a heavy-based saucepan with 80 g of the sugar and 3 tablespoons of starch. Cook for 8 minutes, until thickened, then leave the mixture to cool for 30 minutes. 6. Place the cooled sponge in the pan lined with baking paper and spread the strawberry cream over it. 7. For the vanilla cream, beat the egg yolks with 100 g of the sugar until pale. Add 3 tablespoons of starch, then gradually pour in the lukewarm milk, stirring as you go. Set the pan over low heat and cook for 8 minutes, stirring from time to time, until thickened but not boiling. Leave the cream to cool for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, then cover it with plastic wrap. 8. Whip the cream and fold it into the cooled custard. Add the vanilla essence. Leave the gelatin to bloom in 50 ml of water for 10 minutes, then heat it over a double boiler until dissolved. Let it cool a little, then fold it into the cream. 9. Spread the vanilla cream over the strawberry layer and chill the cake for one hour. 10. Hull and wash the strawberries for the decoration, then cut them in half. Arrange them over the vanilla cream. 11. Mix the Tort-gelee cake glaze powder with the powdered sugar and compote. I used raspberry compote. Heat the mixture for one minute, then pour the glaze over the strawberries. Chill the cake for another 3 hours.