Ingredients
Sponge
- 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
- 440g caster sugar
- 440g self-raising flour, sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 375ml iced water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites, beaten until stiff
- Pink food colouring, as required
Frosting
- 200g cream cheese
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- A few drops vanilla extract
To decorate – 1 or 2 strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F. Grease the foil traybakes.
- To make the sponges, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the dry ingredients, then add the iced water and extract a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Fold in the beaten egg whites.
- Divide the mixture evenly between 4 bowls. A little at a time, add food colouring to each bowl as required, until you have 4 shades of pink.
- Fill half a traybake with one colour mixture and, before it spreads, fill the other half with another colour. Using the second foil traybake, repeat with the other two colour mixes.
- Bake for approx. 15-20 minutes or until the sponge feels springy when pressed with a thumb. Leave in the traybakes to cool for 5 minutes then turn onto chopping boards and leave to cool completely.
- Mix together the frosting ingredients and spoon into a piping bag.
- Using a 5cm cutter, cut 6 circles from each colour sponge. Layer up the sponges from the darkest to the lightest, piping a little frosting between each layer. Finish each with a swirl of frosting and a slice of strawberry.
Tip : Use any leftover scraps of cake to make cake pops.