350g Wyke Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
300g golden caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
6 large eggs
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
100g ground almonds
1-2 tbsp whole milk
600ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
300g strawberry or raspberry jam
400g strawberries or raspberries, sliced, small ones kept whole
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of 3 x 20cm round sandwich tins.
Using a free-standing mixer or electric hand whisk, cream the butter, caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste together until very pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one by one, scraping down the sides in between as each egg is added. Sift in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds. Gently fold until incorporated. Stir the milk into the batter until it is a loose spoonable consistency.
Divide the batter evenly between the tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tins, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the sponges cool, pour the double cream into a large bowl with the icing sugar and the remaining 1 tsp vanilla paste. Whisk until soft peaks start to form.
Put one sponge onto a cake stand or board. Spread half of the jam over the top. Spoon over a third of the whipped cream and spread out with a palette knife. Dot over a handful of berries. Top with another sponge and then repeat with the remaining jam, another third of the cream and more berries. Top with the final sponge and finish off with the remaining whipped cream piled on top. Decorate with extra berries, edible flowers and a final dusting of icing sugar.
