Strawberry Sponge Cake (English Strawberry Shortcake)

This recipe comes here today via my Nain (Welsh for grandma) on my Dad’s side. My mum managed to write some of her recipes down before she passed away and this one is something we make every year. The sentiment behind this cake is that it’s the perfect way to share the, often small, first strawberry harvest of the season between the family.

We’ve always called it strawberry shortcake in my family but, since the American version of strawberry shortcake is something quite different, I thought I’d go with calling it strawberry sponge cake instead.

How to make Strawberry Sponge Cake – video

Strawberry sponge cake vs strawberry shortcake

The cake is not a Victoria sponge, rather, it’s a whisked sponge which doesn’t have any butter or oil added to it (so maybe more of a genoise). There are no raising agents added so the cake only gets its volume from whisking the eggs with sugar until super pale and fluffy. It’s pretty simple from there on, just fold in some flour and cornflour and then divide between cake tins. The great thing about this cake is that it bakes in 15 minutes and cools down quickly so you can make it incredibly fast from start to finish.

Using eggs to figure out the weight of sugar & flour

A quirk of this recipe which I just love is that it’s all about the ratios! It’s a recipe where you use the weight of the eggs (weighed in their shells) to determine how much sugar and flour you need to add. This means that it’s super simple to scale the recipe up or down. It also helps make the recipe more reliable as we’re removing the issue of eggs varying in size.

The ratio for this recipe of weight of eggs in their shells : weight of sugar : weight of flour is 2:2:1

i.e. you weigh the eggs in their shell, use that same weight of sugar and half that weight of flour. Simple!

If you only want a small, single layer cake, you can use 1 egg. If you prefer a 3 layer cake, use 3 eggs (and bake in 3 tins). I usually use 2 eggs to make a 2 layer cake.

Macerating the strawberries

Something that really boosts the flavour of strawberries is slicing them and mixing with some sugar then letting them sit for a few minutes. This draws moisture out of the strawberries which creates a pool of concentrated strawberry juice. The juice makes the strawberries glisten and turn deep red which, I think, makes them look even more delicious. It’s also so good to use the juice for soaking the baked cakes, making them moister and more flavourful.

Yogurt whipped cream

The original recipe just uses plain whipped cream in the filling and as such I’ve written it like that in the recipe card below. However when I’m making this, my favourite thing to do is use a combo of Greek yogurt and whipped cream, folded together, to fill the cake. It has a slight tang to it which helps to cut through the sweetness a bit more and is SO delicious with fresh fruit.

Dusting the cake tins with caster sugar & flour

Another thing we always do for this cake, which I never do for others, is to dust the greased cake tins with a mixture of caster sugar and flour. This creates a crispy crust on the edges of the cake which is just so so good. If you’re not bothered, you can just flour the cake tins but I do like putting in the extra little bit of effort for this simple cake.

Ingredients for strawberry sponge cake – explained

• Eggs: the weight of the eggs in their shells helps determine how much of the sugar & flour to use. The eggs are whisked with the sugar, unravelling the proteins in the eggs forming bubbles which can trap air. This cake has no raising agents so it needs these air bubbles in order to rise & have a spongey texture once baked.
• Caster sugar: the sugar is whisked into the eggs, helping to stabilise the resulting foam. It also acts as a tenderiser as this cake has no butter/oil added (only fat from the egg yolks) so it needs the sugar for this. The sweetness is important obviously, but also acts as a flavour enhancer.
• Vinegar/Lemon Juice: this is an optional add in. I usually don’t add it unless I have half a lemon lying around to use. The point here is that the acidity increases the stability of the egg white foam which will help to make your sponge lighter. I never really have any issues with the cake not being light, even when I don’t include the vinegar/lemon but you can add it in if you have some to hand 🙂
• Plain flour: the plain flour gives structure to the whisked egg/sugar foam meaning that, once baked, it keeps its shape as a cake.
• Cornflour: cornflour here is a starch which doesn’t contain gluten. As such, it helps to keep the cake tender whilst providing structure. It also absorbs water (from the eggs) and upon baking, gelatinises, holding some of that moisture in the cake. This helps to stop the cake getting too dry.
• Whipping cream: I use whipping cream or double cream as we want a high enough fat content so that, upon whipping the cream with a whisk, air bubbles are able to form. This makes the cream thick and fluffy meaning it can be spread into the cake as a filling. The cream helps to cut through the sweetness of the cake and goes so well with the strawberries.
• Strawberries: the star of the show! The fresh strawberries bring some juiciness to the cake as well as a beautiful flavour and slight tartness.