Strawberry shortcake

At least 2 hours before serving, sprinkle the strawberries with 80g of the sugar, stir a few times and store at room temperature until ready to serve.

Whip the cream until soft peaks form, adding the remaining sugar while whipping. Add the vanilla extract and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat the oven to 230ºC.

For the cake, sift the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar together. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Combine the egg with the cream and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir just until the mixture comes together. If the mixture seems dry, stir in the milk.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead and fold six times. Gently pat the dough into 1cm thickness. Cut it into 16 x 7cm rounds using a cookie cutter. Gather the scraps together and knead lightly until you have used all the dough.

Place the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a space of 2,5cm between each round. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes after baking.

Use 4 rounds per serving and spoon the strawberries and whipped cream between the layers. Garnish with gold leaf if using, and serve while warm.