Strawberry Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

• 10 eggs
• 150 g raw cane sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 125 g Whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 0.5 Vanilla bean
• 120 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• 150 g cornstarch
• 400 g soft butter
• 500 g strawberries
• 30 powdered sugar from raw cane sugar

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate the eggs. Beat 3 yolks with 3 tbsp hot water until frothy. Add 70 g sugar and salt, continue whisking. Whip 6 egg whites with 30 g sugar to stiff peaks. Sift flour with baking powder and fold into yolk mixture. Gently fold in the beaten whites, leaving visible white flecks.

2. 2.

   Set a 20×20 cm baking frame, line a tray with parchment paper, pour batter into the frame, smooth top, and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas level 3) for about 15–20 minutes. Let the sponge cool, remove parchment, cut horizontally in half.

3. 3.

   For the cream, split the vanilla bean lengthwise and bring milk to a boil with it. Whisk remaining sugar and cornstarch with remaining eggs and yolks until light and frothy. Remove the bean from the milk, let cool slightly, then pour the milk in a thin stream into the foam. Thicken over a double boiler (watch temperature), cool to butter’s temperature, and gradually fold in butter.

4. 4.

   Place the baking frame on a plate, cover with cling film, lay one sponge layer inside. Clean and halve strawberries lengthwise; place them cut‑side out around the rim of the mold and fill the cavity with half the cream. Distribute remaining strawberries on top, spread the rest of the vanilla cream evenly. Place the second sponge layer on top and press lightly. Chill for at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar, unmold, and serve garnished with strawberries as desired.