Strawberries and Cream Cake

Instructions

CAKE

1. Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease and line three 8" round cake tins.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they form medium to stiff peaks. Reserve for later.
4. In a fresh bowl, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and strawberry oil.
5. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
6. Add pink food colour and the jam.
7. Add 1/3 of the eggs whites and beat slowly until just combined. Then fold in remaining egg whites.
8. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
9. Cool the cake in the tin for 20 minutes. Remove from the tin and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

BUTTERCREAM

1. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the butter for 7 minutes using the whisk attachment. Add the icing sugar, one cup at a time, until well combined.
2. Add cream and milk and stir to combine.

DECORATE

1. Level each cake and layer with buttercream.
2. Do a crumb coat and chill the cake as you make up the food colours in the remaining buttercream
3. Pipe pretty colours of swirls all over the cake.