Last weekend was my brother-in-law’s birthday. Not knowing what to get him, I decided to bake him a birthday cake instead. I had several ideas myself, something chocolate, or maybe a sticky toffee pudding, there were a variety of different recipes that I had swimming about in my head. But I decided to ask the birthday boy what he wanted. I got a very specific notion of a cake that was delightful once made, but that I never would have created on my own.

Eugene is English, and has a very specific palate that has been shaped by years of eating trifles, sponge cakes, steamed puddings, jams, and clotted creams- all things delightfully sweet, even considered childish by many. And here was what I was told his ideal cake would be:

A double layered sponge cake.

Filled with strawberry jam.

Topped with vanilla buttercream.

And here is what he got…

Slightly different, but I must admit, a very festive, very sweet, but altogether delectable birthday treat.

When I set about making the batter for the cake, I realized that I did not own standard circular baking dishes. I had fluted, pie pans, even spring forms, but no standard circular baking pans. Not to be deterred, I simply used two, 8-by-8 inch pyrex dishes, lined with parchment to make unmolding easier. The result was a sweet rhomboid treat. The center of the cake was filled with strawberry jam (per Eugene’s request) mixed with stiffened whipped cream. This gave the filling more body, enabling the cake to stand higher. Finally the cake was iced with a simple vanilla buttercream. I took the recipe from the bible of cooking, Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, this is a tome of all things culinary. I have never had a recipe that I have tried from this book not turn out.

Topped with a single, beautiful strawberry, the cake was a scrumptious success, and most importantly, was adored by the birthday boy.