Vanilla Sponge Cake with Strawberry Mousse.

I love eating cakes, but it always scares me how much butter and oil I add into many of my cake recipes. I've always wanted to try making a cake where I wouldn't feel the guilt after. a few weeks ago, I chanced upon a recipe which required no butter or oil and of course, I just had to try it. 

I made it for my mum and her friends the previous time by layering it with greek yogurt, honey and mandarin oranges with a hint of lemon zest in the cake batter, (my mum is a health nut and isn't a fan of anything sweet) and it turned out perfect! light, fluffy, slightly sweet and a touch of tangy lemon zest.
This has now become my go to sponge cake recipe because it is so versatile, I can adapt it anyway I want it to be.
This past long weekend, I had a few friends over for a brunch party and I thought I would try something fancier. I made the same vanilla cake recipe, but this time I layered a light strawberry mousse in between and topped it off with fresh cream, dark chocolate shavings and strawberries. loved the way it turned out, especially with the bow as the finishing touch.
I've adapted the basic sponge cake recipe here to make it even lighter and softer, enjoy :)






For the sponge cake:
butter/oil for greasing
50g plain flour
3.5 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs separated
165g caster sugar
*flavourings like vanilla, lemon zest, orange zest can be added in after step 4
1. heat the oven to 180 degree celsius, line the base/sides of 2 x 20cm cake pans
2. sieve all the flours and baking powder together
3. using a electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until stiff and add in the sugar, beat the egg yolks separately and add into the mixture
4. fold the dry ingredients into the mixture until well mixed
5. spoon the mixture into the cake tins, level them properly
6. bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and well risen and skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle

For the strawberry mousse:
1/2 cup fresh, chopped strawberries 
1 egg white 
40g sugar 
pinch of salt
1. blend until strawberries are like a puree with a processor or blender
2. beat egg white, sugar and salt until soft foamy peaks form
3. add in the puree and beat until stiff peaks form
4. leave it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes so that it is stiff enough to spread across the surface of a cake
5. scatter a few pieces of strawberries across the surface and place the other side of the cake on top
6. refrigerate until ready to assemble

To assemble
ladyfingers (24)
200 ml heavy cream
3 tbsp of icing sugar
1. whip the cream and sugar until smooth
2. using a spatula, spread the cream across the sides and the surface of the cake
3. slowly line the sides with the ladyfingers and top it off with chocolate shavings and more strawberries