Sponge cake with strawberries and cream

Contributed by: Bridget McFarland

Ingredients
4 eggs
Cooking spray
½ cup caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for dusting
¾ cup plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
Icing sugar for dusting
For the Filling
1 ¼ cups double heavy cream
1 tsp icing sugar, sieved
4 cups of strawberries, washed and hulled
A little Cointreau, or other fruit liqueur

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and grease a loose based 8 inch deep tin pan with cooking spray and dust it with 1 tsp of caster sugar mixed with 1tsp flour.
Shake off any excess sugar and flour mixture and discard.
Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk at high speed until it is light and thick, and the mixture leaves a trail as it drops from the whisk.
Alternatively, whisk by hand, or with a hand-held electric whisk; set the bowl over a pan a quarter filled with hot water and whisk until thick and creamy, then remove from heat.
Sift the flour evenly over the whisked eggs and carefully fold it in with a metal spoon, mixing thoroughly but losing as little volume as possible.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
Level off the top and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the sponge feels springy to the touch.
Leave in the tin for 1-2 minutes to allow the cake to cool a little and shrink slightly from the sides, then loosen the sides gently with a knife and turn out on to a rack to cool.
When the sponge is completely cold, make the filling.
Whip the double cream with a little icing sugar until it is stiff enough to hold its shape.
Slice the sponge across the middle with a sharp knife and divide half of the cream between the two inner sides of the sandwich.
Select some well shaped even sized strawberries for the stop of the cake, and then slice the rest.
Lay the bottom half of the sponge on a serving plate and arrange the sliced strawberries on the cream.
Sprinkle with liqueur if using.
Cover the second half of the cake and press down gently so that it holds together.
Spread the remaining cream on top of the cake and arrange the reserved strawberries whole or halved according to size on top.
Set aside for an hour or so for the flavors to develop, then dust lightly with icing sugar and serve as a dessert.