Strawberry lemonade cake

Hull and chop the strawberries into small pieces and transfer to a small to medium pot.

Add the granulated sugar and the lemon juice.

Cook over medium high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula, until thick and jammy.

Preheat the oven to 350, spray three eight inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Mix the room temperature butter on medium in a stand mixer until creamy.

Add the granulated sugar and the lemon zest, then the vanilla, and mix on medium about five minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.

Take the reduction off the heat, transfer to a bowl, loosely cover and chill at least two hours; press it through a sieve first if you do not want seeds.

Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is mixed in before the next, scraping the bowl down between.

On the lowest setting add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two, scraping the bowl before the last of the flour is worked in.

Add the quarter cup of fresh lemon juice and finish folding the batter by hand.

Divide the batter equally between the three pans, weighing for evenness, and level with an offset spatula.

Wrap the pans in damp cake strips for a flat, even bake.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centres spring back when gently pressed or a skewer comes out clean, then cool.

Beat the room temperature unsalted butter with the whisk attachment on medium high about five minutes until it is almost off white, light and fluffy.

On low, add half the sifted powdered sugar about a cup at a time.

Add the six tablespoons of strawberry reduction and scrape down.

Add the rest of the powdered sugar gradually on low, then the lemon juice and two to three tablespoons of heavy cream; beat on medium low about a minute until fluffy.

Reserve about a cup of frosting in a piping bag with the tip snipped off for the dams, and about two cups for the decoration.

Spread half a cup of frosting into a thin even layer on the first layer, pipe a circle around the edge to hold the reduction in, and spread three tablespoons of reduction inside it.

Add the next layer and repeat: half a cup of frosting, a piped border and three more tablespoons of reduction.

Add the last layer and check it is level.

Re-whip the buttercream so it is smooth, then cover the cake completely, working it down the sides; chill five to ten minutes first if the cake is jiggly.

Smooth the sides with a bench scraper, rotating the cake, filling gaps, then pull in as you turn for a crisp edge.

Whip the rest of the frosting, load a piping bag fitted with a small open star tip and pipe waves around the bottom and ringlets around the top.

Add a pool of reduction on top, smooth it to the edge and cover with halved or quartered strawberries.

Chill about half an hour to set before slicing.