Strawberry cornmeal layer cake

Mix the cornmeal with the buttermilk and vanilla to hydrate while the other ingredients are assembled.

Grease the 9-inch cake pan well with butter, press in a parchment round, smooth out air bubbles, and brush the parchment with the remaining butter.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt.

Zest the lemon into the sugar and massage together with fingertips; keep the lemon for juice.

Add the butter and beat, starting on low then increasing speed, until light and fluffy.

Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each; scrape down.

On low, add a third of the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk-cornmeal mixture, half the remaining dry, the remaining liquid, then the remaining dry, mixing just until combined; finish by hand with a spatula.

Scrape into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350F on the middle rack for 40 to 50 minutes; cool completely in the pan.

Pick out about five strawberries and trim them to the same height to stand as supports between the layers.

Toss the remaining strawberries with the sugar and 2 teaspoons lemon juice and leave to macerate into a syrup.

Run a knife around the pan pressing outward, invert, peel off the parchment and re-invert onto a level surface.

With a serrated knife held horizontal, score a shallow line around the midline while rotating the cake, then saw through along it to split into two layers; slide the top layer onto the upturned pan bottom and set the bottom layer on the serving plate.

Whip the unsweetened cream, starting low and increasing speed, to between medium and firm peaks.

Stand the trimmed berries on the bottom layer, spoon on strawberries with some juices, then about half the cream, spread not quite to the edge.

Slide the top layer on, top with the remaining cream spread with the back of a spoon, then the remaining berries.

Slowly pour the leftover strawberry syrup over the top before slicing.

Slice with a serrated knife using a short sawing motion.