With Breast Cancer Awareness month approaching, what better way to raise awareness than with a slice of cake.

Makes: 10 slices

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 30 minutes

What You’ll Need:

• 225g softened butter
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 4 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
• 225g self-raising flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 150g strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tbsp bottlegreen pomegranate & elderflower cordial

Icing

• 100g softened butter
• 200g icing sugar
• 250g Mascarpone cheese
• 100g strawberries, plus a few extra for decoration
• 1 pomegranate or 50g prepared seeds, reserve a few for decoration
• 2 tbsp bottlegreen pomegranate and elderflower cordial
• Few drops pink colouring
• 14g freeze dried strawberries

Topping

• 150g white chocolate

What To Do:

• Place the chopped strawberries into a saucepan; add the cordial and gently heat for a few minutes, cool
• Pre heat oven to 180c, gas mark 4, grease and line 3 x 18 cm cake tins
• Place the butter and sugar in a food mixer and beat until light and fluffy, gradually add the eggs a little at a time, beating between each addition
• Sieve the flour and baking powder together and stir into the cake mixture followed by the cooled strawberries and a little pink food colouring. Divide between the tins, level and bake for approx 25-30 mins until the cakes are golden, risen and spring back when lightly pressed. Leave to cool a little in the tins then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rackTo make the buttercream beat the butter and icing sugar together with the cordial, add the mascarpone and a little food colouring to get the desired pink colour, divide the mixture in half and add the remaining finely chopped strawberries and pomegranate to one half
• Break the chocolate into even pieces and place in a heatproof bowl, put it over a pan of simmering water and allow to gently melt
• To assemble the cake, divide the icing with the fruit in between the layers and pile on top of each other making sure the top is completely flat by turning the cake over to use the underside
• Spread the remaining icing around the sides of the cake. Place in the fridge to firm up for approx 30 mins -1 hr, carefully press or roll the sides of the cake in the freeze dried strawberries, place on a serving plate. Pour the white chocolate (it shouldn’t be too hot or runny) over the top allowing it to just drip over the edges, allow to set
• Decorate with the white chocolate bark if using and the reserved strawberries and pomegranate

Cook’s tip: To make white chocolate, pistachio and strawberry bark to decorate, simply melt 100g white chocolate, pour onto a greased and lined baking sheet and spread evenly, sprinkle over freeze dried strawberries and chopped pistachios with skins removed, allow to set, then break into shards and arrange on top of the cake.

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