Gateaux Recipes - Strawberry Shortcake Gateau

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz fresh strawberries, hulled

• 30ml/2 tbsp ruby port

• 225g/8oz self-raising flour

• 10ml/2 tsp baking poser

• 75g/3oz unsalted butter, diced

• 40g/3 tbsp caster sugar

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 15-30ml/1-2 tbsp milk

• melted butter, for brushing

• 250ml/8fl oz double cram

• icing sugar, fro dusting

---

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220.C/425'F/Gas 7, Grease and base­line two 20cm/8in round, loose-based cake tins. Reserve 5 strawberries, slice the rest and marinate in the port for about 1-2 hours. Strain, reserving the port.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and stir in the sugar. Work in the egg and 15ml of the milk to form a soft dough, adding more milk if needed.

3. Knead on a lightly floured surface and divide in two. Roll out each half, mark one half into eight wedges, and transfer to the cake tins. Brush with a little melted butter and bake for 15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

4. Cut the marked cake into wedges. Reserving a little cream for decoration, whip the rest until it holds its shape, and fold in the reserved port and strawberry slices. Spread over the cake. Place the wedges on top and dust with icing sugar.

5. Whip the remaining cream and use to pipe swirls on each wedge. Halve the reserved strawberries and use to decorate the cake.