Food & Drink
Swiss strawberry and walnut cake This light walnut sponge filled with strawberries and cream is often served on the Continent as a pudding, but it also makes the perfect afternoon teatime treat.
Serves 8 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 40-45 minutes
Ingredients • 3 large eggs • 100g caster sugar • 75g self-raising flour • 50g walnuts, finely chopped For the filling and topping • 300ml pouring double cream, whipped • 450g strawberries, roughly chopped, plus extra kept whole for decoration
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Preheat the oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / gas mark 4. Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin, then line the base with non-stick baking paper. Measure the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and beat until the mixture is thick and mousse-like, and leaves a trail when the whisk is lifted out of the mixture. Sift the flour onto the mixture and lightly fold in along with the chopped walnuts. Turn into the prepared cake tin and level the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until well-risen and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the baking paper and finish cooling on a wire rack. When cold, cut the cake into three horizontally using a serrated or bread knife, then sandwich the slices together with a good amount of whipped cream and strawberries. Spread the remaining cream over the top and the sides of the cake, and decorate with the reserved strawberries heaped on top.
TIP For a lighter filling, you can use full-fat crème fraiche. Extracted from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible by Mary Berry (BBC Books, £28), a definitive baking collection, featuring 250 retested and updated foolproof classics plus 20 brand new recipes, along with Dame Mary’s tips. Photography by Ant Duncan.