Strawberry custard cake has long been popular in our family. There are so many things that you can do to the basic recipe that mastering these core skills will open a very large door into the world of cakes, puddings and sweets for you that I have decided to share some shortcuts with everyone.

First up; when it comes to speed of production, the easiest way to quickly put a cake together at a moment’s notice is to always have a trusty store brought plain sponge cake mix that you know will always turn out right on hand. The true art in creating a cake with that individualistic flair is in the selection of the ingredients that you are going to add to the basic ones in the box.

Next tip is to keep your toppings simple yet contrasting in a complimentary way. For example; in this recipe we will be using vanilla custard, some fresh strawberries, a few slices of canned cling peach wedges, some strawberry jam and confectioners’ sugar (also known as icing sugar in some parts of the world). The final cake will be a blend of gold, pale yellow, strawberry red, peach, and glossy red with a hint of white frost overall.

Ingredients

• 1 Box of White Cake Mix
• 1 Punnet of Fresh Strawberries
• ¼ Can of Sliced Cling Peaches
• 3 Medium-Large Eggs
• 400 ml of Full Cream Milk
• 5 Tablespoons of Sugar
• 4 Tablespoons of Strawberry Jam
• 3 Tablespoons each of Warm Water, Custard Powder Confectioners’ Sugar and Unsalted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Preparation

• Sift the confectioners’ sugar thoroughly to ensure that there are no lumps
• Wash and top the strawberries

Cooking the Sponge

Bake your favorite shop-brought sponge as per the directions on the box. You want it to be a nice golden brown color. When it’s done take it out of the oven and set on a rack to cool.

Cooking the Custard

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the eggs with the sugar
2. In another medium-sized mixing bowl combine the custard powder and the milk
3. Now add both mixtures to the pot that you are going to be cooking the custard in making sure that you combine them well
4. Place pot over a medium heat and bring to a slow boil stirring all the while
5. When ready remove from heat and immediately add the butter and the vanilla extract to the pot. Stir well to ensure that the butter has melted and all ingredients are well distributed through the custard.
6. Once you are satisfied with the custard mixes consistency and texture set it to one side to cool

Final Assembly

1. Once the custard has cooled down some pour it over the top of your sponge. At this point you may want to pop the cake into the refrigerator for a bit to let the custard thicken.
2. Once the custard on the top of your cake has thickened decorate the top with the strawberries and peach wedges. You may also want to consider adding a few slices of Kiwi fruit as well.

Preparing the Strawberry Glaze

1. Put 4 tablespoon of strawberry jam and 3 tablespoons of warm water into a microwave safe bowl
2. Give the jam/water mix a stir and then pop it into the microwave oven for 1 minute
3. Take out of microwave oven and give it another quick stir then take it to your cake
4. Brush the strawberry jam glaze over the fruit
5. Now use your sifter to lightly dust the top of the cake with the confectioners’ sugar
6. When done put cake into refrigerator to a bit more

Serving

This strawberry cake is intended to be eaten cold.

You may also consider piping some whipped cream whirls on top. If so add the whipped cream after dusting the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Enjoy!

For those who want to make the whole kit and caboodle themselves I will be presenting a wonderful sponge recipe in another article in the next day or so.