Strawberry Pimm's showstopper cake recipe

A light, fruit-laden sponge soaked in Pimm’s syrup and coated in white chocolate ganache, this deliciously tempting cake is best made the day before to allow all the fruit flavours to soak into the sponge. Yum. Here's how to make one for yourself:

Serves 10-12
Preparation time 35-45 minutes
Cooking time 40-45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the sponge
• 6 medium eggs
• 180g golden caster sugar
• 4 tbsp light olive oil
• 180g plain flour

For the Pimm’s syrup

• 100ml Pimm's
• 300ml lemonade
• 3 tbsp Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve or Strawberry & Wild Strawberry Conserve For the white chocolate cream
• 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped for melting
• 300ml double cream

To fill and decorate

• 6 tbsp Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve or Strawberry & Wild Strawberry Conserve
• 225g fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled, 3 left whole, the rest thinly sliced
• Caster sugar, for the caramel shards
• Freeze-dried strawberries and chopped pistachio nuts, to decorate
• A few fresh raspberries, to decorate

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 160°C, 300°F, Gas 2 and grease and line a deep, 20cm/8in round cake tin with non-stick baking parchment.

2. Whisk the eggs in an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until pale and thick. Add the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture doubles in size, is very foamy and leaves a trail when you lift out the beaters.

3. Continue to whisk on high while you add the olive oil, drop by drop. Sift the flour onto the mixture then fold in very gently with a large metal spoon. Pour into the tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put the Pimm’s, lemonade and conserve in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Bubble for 10-15 minutes until reduced and syrupy. Leave to cool.

5. Cool the cooked cake in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack. Cut it into 3 equal layers and spoon the cooled syrup over each layer.

6. For the chocolate cream, put the white chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of warm water and leave until melted. Dip the 3 whole strawberries in the chocolate and chill. Whip the cream until it just begins to hold its shape then fold in the remaining melted chocolate with a balloon whisk. Whisk gently until the mixture is thick and spreadable.

7. Spread the conserve on top of the 3 sponge layers then top 2 layers with the sliced strawberries. Layer up the cake, using the layer without the strawberries as the top layer. Cover the cake with the white chocolate cream and refrigerate overnight.

8. To make the caramel shards for the decoration, line a baking sheet with foil and sprinkle over a layer of caster sugar. Pop under a preheated hot grill for 4-5 minutes or until the sugar melts and turns golden brown. Immediately sprinkle over the freeze dried strawberries and the pistachios. Leave to cool then break into shards and store in an airtight container.

9. When ready to serve, decorate with the 3 chocolate-dipped strawberries, some fresh raspberries and the caramel shards.

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