Vanilla Sponge Cake With Strawberry

By Sous Chef Sasha Wadhwa

Serves 3

Ingredients for Vanilla Sponge Cake (6-inch pan):

100 gms Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

140 gms Thick Curd

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

80 gms Caster Sugar

50 gms oil

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Baking Time – 25-30 minutes

Baking Temperature – 150°C

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C

2. Mix the baking soda and curd well and set aside.

3. Whisk oil and caster sugar until well combined.

4. Add vanilla, curd + baking soda mixture and whisk until it comes together.

5. Sift in the maida and baking powder and fold gently with a spatula until the batter looks well combined and no flour pockets are visible.

6. Pour into a greased pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted to check doneness comes out clean.

Ingredients for Strawberry Compote:

80 gms diced Strawberries

160 gms chopped Strawberries

3 tbsp/45 gms Caster Sugar

1/4 Lemon

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)

Method:

1. Add 80 gms of diced strawberries to a pan with caster sugar. On a low flame, slowly let the strawberries cook down. Stir occasionally and make sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the base of the pan.

2. When the mixture has thickened up (about 10-15 minutes), switch off the flame and set aside. Let it cool.

3. Add the chopped strawberries to the cooked strawberry compote, lemon juice, and vanilla, and combine. Refrigerate until required.

Slice the vanilla sponge cake and serve with a side of strawberry compote and whipped cream.

Serving suggestion – You can also make a layered cake by slicing the cake in half horizontally and layering it with strawberry compote and whipped cream. Cover the sides and top with whipped cream and garnish with fresh strawberries.