The soft-set strawberry jam is not essential but it does make a lovely little surprise in the middle of the cake. It is quick to make and great for strawberries that are slightly past their best...very good with scones too!
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Makes 24 Fairy Cakes or 18 larger Cup Cakes
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Jam
400g Strawberries
100g Granulated Sugar
For the Cakes
200g Caster Sugar
200g Soft Butter
3 Large Eggs
225g Self-Raising Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
For the Vanilla (Chantilly) Cream
500ml Double Cream
1 Vanilla Pod (or 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract)
4 tablespoons Icing Sugar
6-8 Strawberries for the top
- To make the soft-set strawberry jam, hull the strawberries, cut them into quarters and tip them into a small pan. Add the sugar and put on a medium heat, there is no need to add any water. When the strawberries start to sizzle gently shake the pan to mix the sugar in with the juices. With the heat on low-medium let the now syrupy strawberries bubble away for 15-20 minutes (stirring occasionally) until the syrup has thickened and you have a glossy, deep-red gloop. Transfer it to a bowl to cool.
- For the cakes, preheat the oven to 175C (fan). Whisk the butter, the caster sugar and the vanilla extract together until pale and fluffy. Gradually whisk in the eggs and the flour alternatively with the baking powder until all combined. Spoon into cake cases and bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- For the vanilla cream, pour the double cream into a bowl then add the scraped out seeds of the vanilla pod and the icing sugar. Whisk until thick and holding peaks.
- Take each cooled cake and cut a round piece out of the top, cut a bit of cake from the bottom of each piece then fill the hole with half a teaspoon of strawberry compote and put the top back on. Do this with all of the cakes.
- Pipe or spoon the vanilla cream onto the top of the cakes then decorate with pieces of fresh strawberry.
- Serve and ideally eat on the same day.
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