For the cake

8 oz. unsalted butter, softened

8 oz. caster sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

8 oz. self-raising flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

4 eggs

1-2 tbsp. milk

For the filling and topping

6 oz. strawberry jam

10 fl. oz. double cream, chilled

2 oz. icing sugar, sifted

Fresh strawberries to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180º Celsius. Grease and line with baking paper two 6in-8in round springform cake tins.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy, using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon. You will need a to beat a lot of air into the mixture for at least 3-5 minutes.
3. Next, sift in the half the flour and add half the eggs, then mix until you get fairly smooth batter. Sift in the remaining flour together with the baking powder. Mix adding one egg at a time. If the batter is a bit stiff thoroughly mix in a tablespoon of milk until you have a smooth and creamy batter.
4. Divide the batter equally between the two cake tins. Tap the tins a couple of time against the counter and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 
5. Remove from the oven. Leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing the springform around it. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 
6. In the meantime, make the whipped cream filling and topping. Whisk the cream and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl until the cream thickens and forms soft peaks. Cover and set aside in the fridge to be used later. (If you just want to use the cream as a filling whisk 6 fl. oz double cream and 1 oz. icing sugar).
7. Once the cakes are cooled, you may need to level off one of the cakes so that the surface is flat. To do this, use a serrated knife to slice of the domed part of the cake.
8. Evenly spread the jam on the bottom layer of the cake and then spread about half the whipped cream (or all of the whipped cream if you only created enough just as a filling. Next you will place the other half of the cake on top and dust with icing sugar for a traditional sponge cake).
9. Before putting the other half of the cake on top, level it out with the serrated knife. Then evenly spread the remaining whipped cream on top then transfer that half of the cake to sit on top of the other. Decorate with fresh strawberries and it’s ready to serve.