Vanilla Strawberry Cake

Preparation

• First, prepare the strawberry layer, as it must set really well. Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for at least 5 minutes. Heat the strawberries with the sugar until they soften and purée them. Dissolve the wrung-out sheets of gelatin in the warm strawberry purée. Pour the purée into a 14 cm ring or cake pan (4 cm less than the diameter of the cake), which you have lined with plastic wrap and wrapped tightly. Put in the freezer to set.
• Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla paste at maximum speed for 10 minutes. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and stir it in gently with a spatula. Spread the batter evenly in an 18 cm cake pan lined with parchment paper (the bottom), and bake for 15 minutes. While the sponge is baking, prepare the sugar solution. Take the baked sponge cake out of the baking tray and cool it on a cooling rack.
• While the sponge cake is in the oven, prepare the vanilla filling. Bring 100 ml milk to a boil and mix the rest of the milk with the egg, sugar, vanilla and starch until smooth. While stirring, add the egg mixture to the milk and cook for another 5 minutes until the filling thickens – it is important to whisk the mixture constantly while cooking. Take the filling off the stove, add the butter and stir until it melts. Soak the gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes, wring it and dissolve in the hot filling. Cover the filling with plastic wrap in direct contact and cool until lukewarm. Whip the cream and refrigerate. Stir the cooled filling until smooth, then add it to the whipped cream in two stages and fold in with a spatula.
• Cut the sponge into two equal layers. Cut the top layer to a 14 cm circle (4 cm less than the diameter of the cake). Place the bottom part of the sponge on a stand, moisten it and fit the cake ring. Spread on slightly less than half of the filling. Place the smaller layer on top of the filling, moisten it and place the frozen strawberry layer on it. Coat with the rest of the filling, making sure you fill the space around the sponge first. Level out the surface and refrigerate the cake to allow the filling to set.
• Bring the strawberries with water and sugar to a boil. Soak gelatin she- ets in cold water for 5 minutes. Purée the strawberries, cool slightly (the purée should not be too hot) and use it to dissolve the wrung-out gelatin. Pour the lukewarm purée over the cold filling and refrigerate the cake for at least another 4 hours. Remove the rim from the chilled cake and decorate as desired.