Ingredients
Scale
For the cake
- 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
For the cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
To garnish
- Confectioners’ (icing) sugar
- 1 cup strawberries, blueberries, fresh figs and baby kiwi
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 8-inch round lightly greased cake pans with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand-mixer until creamy and pale.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl, mix to combine. Then sift the flour, baking powder and salt on top. With a large, metal spoon, in a figure 8 motion, incorporate dry ingredients into the batter.
- Mix the batter until even and smooth, try not to overwork it.
- Divide the batter between the pans and gently smooth the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sponges are evenly golden and come away from the sides of the baking pans.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes; turn them onto the wire rack. Peel and discard the parchment paper.
- Make the syrup: In a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and let cool.
- Make the holes all over the sponges with tooth picks, then spoon over the cooled syrup.
- Pour the cream into a large bowl, add sugar and vanilla. Whip until thickened but not stiff.
- Spread one cake with the cream mixture and top with the remaining cake. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fruit and berries.