Mel's Strawberry and Cream Cake

Mel works at Dandelion Designs and when she has time love to bake, she has been working with us for five years now and we have eaten a lot of cake in that time!! She made this cake for my Birthday and of course I had to do some extensive taste testing before I was confident of passing on this fabulous recipe to you! Mel says it is one of her favourite bakes for summer. It’s quick and easy to put together, but looks impressive and is always gratefully received! Perfect for afternoon tea in the garden and technically it has contains one of your ‘five a day’…

• 12 oz butter or margarine
• 12 oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 6 eggs
• 4 oz desiccated coconut
• 8 oz self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
   
• 1 punnet of strawberries
• Large tub of double cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• White chocolate to decorate

1. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar & vanilla until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
3. Fold in coconut, flour and baking powder.
4. Spread mixture into three greased and lined 10" cake/flan tins and bake at 180c (170c for fan ovens) or gas 4 until springy and golden (25 min approx).
5. Whip cream with sugar and slice the strawberries (saving a few pretty ones for the top).
6. Layer the cooled cakes up with the cream and strawberries. Finish the top
7. with some piped swirls of cream, whole strawberries and a sprinkling of
8. grated chocolate.

Download Mel's recipe to stick in your Secret Society Notebook or just to use in your kitchen here