A big cake — the sponge cake filled with cream, chocolate and fresh strawberries to make it even more indulgent!
A tall, large, soft and truly delicious cake, perfect for when you crave a simple yet rich dessert that everyone enjoys.
It starts with a classic sponge cake base, soft and fragrant, then is filled with a silky cream, coarse pieces of dark chocolate and chopped fresh strawberries for an irresistible result with every bite.
You can skip the syrup soak if you like — the cake will remain soft — but if you want it moister, lightly brush the first layer with a little milk.
This is the ideal dessert for a Sunday, a birthday party or simply when you want something homemade and delicious without fuss.
I also have a free WhatsApp channel with one sweet and one savory recipe every day: click and subscribe → https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups potato starch
- 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (00)
- 3/4 + 2 cup + tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp butter (soft, at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 tsp baking powder (for cakes)
- 1 lemon (zest only)
- 1 vanilla bean (scrape the seeds or use 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 cups milk (for the filling)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 + 1 1/2 cup + tbsp granulated sugar (for the filling)
- 5 tbsp cornstarch (or about 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (approx. 50 g))
- 1 lemon (zest (organic or unwashed) for the filling)
- 3 oz dark chocolate (coarsely chopped)
- 1 1/3 cups strawberries (fresh and chopped)
Tools
9-inch cake pan (about 8 3/4–9 in)
- Planetarie
- Casseruole
- Stampi
Beat the yolks and sugar for 15 minutes until pale and fluffy, then add the soft butter in pieces, a little at a time, allowing the fat to incorporate fully into the mixture.
Now add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, potato starch and baking powder) alternately with the milk, folding carefully with a rubber spatula.
Now fold in the vanilla bean (see vanilla) and the egg whites beaten to stiff peaks with an electric whisk, always folding from the bottom up.
Grease a 9-inch (about 8 3/4–9 in) springform pan with release spray or butter and pour in the soft, flowing sponge batter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 320°F/338°F (160°/170°C) for about 45 minutes, but always check according to your own oven.
For the filling cream, heat the milk with the lemon zest without bringing it to a boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a pale and fluffy mixture that ‘writes’.
Stir in the cornstarch (or flour) well, then slowly pour the hot milk in a thin stream while continuing to whisk.Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the cream thickens.
Remove from the heat and let cool, covering the cream with plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Now let’s proceed to assemble the filling…
Slice the sponge cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife, optionally brush with a little milk, then spread the cooled cream over the base, leveling it well.
Distribute the dark chocolate in large chunks, add the strawberry slices.
Close the sponge cake with the top half and, if you like, use a stencil to dust with powdered sugar!It’s a soft cake, decadently filled! Enjoy! Annalisa
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