Fresh Fruit Genoese

With so few ingredients this light and fluffy genoese is so simple to make. The key is to treat your mixture with love and with care. Don't be tempted to rush and be gentle when folding through the egg whites and flour. If you do this you'll be rewarded with a beautiful base for whipped cream and all sorts of fresh fruits. I've used strawbs, but you can replace with whatever you fancy!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 30 Mins
4 Large Eggs (Separated)
225g Caster Sugar
1/2tsp Orange Extract
1/2tsp Lemon Extract
1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
150g Self Raising Flour

200ml Double Cream
25g Icing Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
300g Fresh Fruit (Sliced accordingly)

You'll need two clean mixing bowls for this, as well as a 23cm cake tin. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and completely line your tin with baking paper. In one of your bowls whisk the eggs whites until fluffy, then add 25g of the sugar and whisk again until you are left with soft peaks. In the other bowl beat together the yolks with the sugar and extracts. Add a third of the whites to the yolks, fold through to combine, then add a third of the flour and do the same. Repeat for the next two thirds, then pour into your prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 30 mins, until well risen, golden brown on top and just springy to the touch. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven, leave in the tin for around an hour, then very carefully remove from the tin, gently peeling off the paper as you go. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Whisk the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract until thick, then spread over the top of the cake. Decorate with fresh fruits and you are all done! Woohoo!