Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: nil
Serves: 8
• 500g strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
• 2 teaspoons icing sugar
• 20cm plain sponge cake
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup liqueur (such as Frangelico or Grand Marnier)
• 250g tub mascarpone (Italian-style cream cheese)
• extra strawberries to decorate
• extra icing sugar, to dust
1. Toss the sliced strawberries with the icing sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. Using a large bread knife, carefully cut the sponge cake into 3 even layers. Place the bottom layer onto a cake stand or serving plate, and brush with one-third of the liqueur. Spread with half the mascarpone, and top with half the sliced strawberries.
2. Brush the centre layer of sponge with half the remaining liqueur. Spread with the rest of the mascarpone,
and arrange the remaining strawberries over. Place on top of the bottom layer. Brush the cut side of the top layer with the remaining liqueur, and place right-side up onto the cake.
3. Dust the cake with icing sugar, and decorate with extra strawberries on top (with leaves and flowers of strawberries if you have them, but don’t eat those!). Dust again lightly with icing sugar if you like. You can assemble the torte up to 4 hours in advance and keep it in the fridge until needed. Decorate the top just before serving.
Note:
sponge cakes are available in 2-packs from supermarkets. Freeze the other sponge cake for later use.