Strawberry Layer Cake

Ingredients

Cake Base

4 eggs (about 55g each)

45g vegetable oil

45g milk

55g cake flour

40g granulated sugar

5g lemon juice

5g vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

300g heavy cream

30g granulated sugar

1g salt

Filling

Fresh strawberry slices

Notes: By cake flour, I mean low protein flour, which normally contains 7-9% protein (Mine is around 8%). Not self-rising flour.

Steps:

1. In a clean bowl, mix well vegetable oil and milk. Add in cake flour and mix well. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks into the batter and mix well. Set aside.
2. Line the baking tray (28*28*2.6cm) with parchment paper or baking mat. Preheat the oven to 150℃(302℉).
3. Add sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract into the egg white. Use a hand mixer to beat until soft peaks form. Take a scoop of whipped egg white and gently fold it in the batter until just combined. Pour all the batter into the whipped egg white and gently fold it in until just combined. Pour all the batter into the baking tray, smooth it out and give it a tap or two. Send into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
4. In a clean bowl, bring together heavy cream, sugar and salt. Use a hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer into a piping bag. Wash and chop the strawberries into slices. Save 4 strawberries for the topping.
5. Take the cake out of the oven and let the cake cool down on the cooling rack before take it out of the cake pan. When the cake is cool to touch, release the sides of the cake with an icing spatula, turn the whole cake pan upside down on the parchment paper. Take off the pan, and peel off the baking mat. Slice the cake into 4 equal size square slices. (I take one of the layers to make the strawberry crepe cake, so I only use 3 cake layers for this cake.)
6. Place a layer of cake on the cake stand, evenly spread the cream on it, cover it with strawberry slices, whipped cream and top with another slice. Repeat the step. Cover the top with whipped cream and garnish the cake with strawberries.