Strawberry & Cream Cake Cups

Cake:

• 1½ cups White Wings plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 120g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup CSR Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 150ml buttermilk

Cream:

• 600ml thickened cream
• 1 tbsp CSR Pure Icing Sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

To Decorate:

• 2 x 250g punnet strawberries
• 12 small strawberries
• CSR Pure Icing Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced). Grease two 27.5cm x 17.5cm slice pans and line with baking paper.
2. In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and dark brown sugar until light & fluffy, approximately 8 mins. Beat in vanilla paste until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
4. Fold through flour & buttermilk in three batches until well combined. Divide batter between the two pans and smooth out with a spatula. Bake for 18 - 20 mins until lightly brown. Allow to cool completely. Using your fingertips, crumble the cake mixture into large crumbs. Set aside.
5. Using an electric mixer, whip the thickened cream, icing sugar and vanilla paste until stiff peaks form. Place in a piping bag without a piping nozzle. Place in the fridge.
6. Chop two punnets of strawberries into very small pieces. Place in a bowl and using the back of a fork mash slightly so that some of the strawberry’s juices are released.
7. To assemble, place a layer of cake crumb mixture in the bottom of the jar. Press down slightly using the back of a spoon. Add a layer of chopped strawberries (approximately 1 heaped tablespoon), followed by a layer of piped cream. Repeat the process again, finishing with a slightly peaked cream layer. Place a strawberry on top and finish off with a dusting of icing sugar. Repeat with remaining jars.