The Easiest Strawberry Cake in the World

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Begin the vanilla pastry cream: heat the milk with vanilla sugar in a saucepan until nearly boiling.
   ▶ ≈0:54
2. 2
   Place egg yolks in a bowl and mix with sugar until combined.
   ▶ ≈1:08
3. 3
   Add the flour and cornflour mixture, stirring until fully incorporated.
   ▶ ≈1:20
4. 4
   Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while stirring constantly.
   ▶ ≈1:32
5. 5
   Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat over medium heat until thickened.
   ▶ ≈1:38
6. 6
   Add the softened gelatin to the hot pastry cream and let it melt through completely.
   ▶ ≈2:08
7. 7
   Pour the pastry cream into a bowl, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate until completely cooled.
   ▶ ≈2:20
8. 8
   Prepare the sponge cake: separate egg whites from yolks and begin beating the whites with a quarter of the sugar to help trap more air.
   ▶ ≈2:52
9. 9
   Mix the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla sugar, add melted butter and flour, stirring gently until combined.
   ▶ ≈3:12
10. 10
    Gently fold in the beaten egg whites into the batter in two additions, starting with one spoonful to loosen the mixture, then adding the rest carefully.
    ▶ ≈3:24
11. 11
    Pour the batter into a prepared pan and bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
    ▶ ≈3:30
12. 12
    Once the cake has cooled completely, cut out two circles of cake using an 18 cm diameter cutter.
    ▶ ≈3:55
13. 13
    Whip the cooled pastry cream and fold in whipped cream that has been chilled in the freezer to lighten and aerate the mixture.
    ▶ ≈4:16
14. 14
    Transfer the lightened pastry cream to a piping bag, ready for assembly.
    ▶ ≈4:48
15. 15
    Place the first cake circle on acetate paper, remove strawberry stems, and cut the strawberries in half.
    ▶ ≈5:01
16. 16
    Arrange the halved strawberries around the outer edge with cut side facing out, piping cream between them to secure them in place.
    ▶ ≈5:14
17. 17
    Slice any remaining strawberries of inconsistent size into strips and fold them into the cream filling.
    ▶ ≈5:36
18. 18
    Add another layer of cream filling, level the top, and place the second cake circle on top.
    ▶ ≈5:50
19. 19
    Refrigerate the assembled cake for at least 24 hours, ideally preparing it the day before to allow flavors to meld and structure to set.
    ▶ ≈5:56
20. 20
    After chilling, carefully unmold the cake and gently remove the acetate paper.
    ▶ ≈6:08
21. 21
    Top the cake with whipped cream and decorate with fresh strawberries and pistachio pieces for a final touch.
    ▶ ≈6:21