Step 1

Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl or pan.

Step 2

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Grease a 7 to 8 inches pan (square, round or heart-shaped) with softened butter or oil. You can also line the pan with parchment paper and then grease the parchment with oil or butter.

Step 4

In a small frying pan or bowl take a bit more than ½ cup of butter. Melt the butter on a stove-top on low heat taking care not to burn it. Simply melt the butter. No need to heat it.

Step 5

Measure the melted butter in a steel or glass measuring cup. You need to get about ½ cup of melted butter.

Step 6

Whip or beat the curd (yogurt) in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth.

Step 7

Add water, sugar, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract to the beaten yogurt.

Step 8

Briskly whisk using a wired whisk until all of the sugar is dissolved and you get an even mixture.

Step 9

Sprinkle baking soda on this liquid mixture. Mix thoroughly and evenly.

Step 10

To the sifted flour, add liquid mixture and the melted butter.

Step 11

Be quick enough to mix and make a lump free batter. Don’t over do the mixing.

Step 12

Pour the batter into the greased or lined baking pan.

Step 13

Shake and tap the sides of the pan on the countertop so that air bubbles are released.

Step 14

Place the pan in the preheated oven in the center rack.

Step 15

Keep the heating in both the bottom and top elements of the oven on.

Step 16

Bake at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes or more till a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Step 17

If the cake browns too quickly on the top, then cover the top part with an aluminium foil or parchment paper.

Step 18

Once well baked, place the cake pan on a wired rack for the cake to cool at room temperature.

Step 19

Before frosting ensure that the cake is cooled completely.

Step 20

Rinse the strawberries well and then dry them with a clean kitchen napkin.

Step 21

Reserve about 5 to 6 small to medium strawberries for the decoration and keep them in the fridge.

Step 22

Hull and chop the rest of the strawberries.

Step 23

Take the chopped strawberries and sugar in a bowl.

Step 24

The proportion of sugar here depends on the sweetness of the strawberries.

Step 25

Mix the sugar with the strawberries and set aside for at least 30 to 40 mins to macerate in the fridge. You can also keep them overnight. Keep the bowl covered in the fridge.

Step 26

In a stand mixer fitted with the wired whip attachment, whip the cream and icing sugar along with vanilla extract, at medium-high to high speed until you get stiff peaks in the cream.

Step 27

Taste the cream and add more sugar if needed.

Step 28

You can also use a hand held electric beater to whip the cream.

Step 29

The cream should have stiff peaks - meaning on turning the bowl the whipped cream should not fall down.

Step 30

Slice the cake with a serrated knife from the center carefully into two equal halves.

Step 31

Brush the syrup from the chilled macerated strawberries lightly on one half of the cake. Do not add too much as it will make the cake soggy.

Step 32

Spread the chopped strawberries evenly on the cake.

Step 33

Spread a layer of the whipped cream evenly on the cake.

Step 34

Keep the other cake slice over.

Step 35

Now spread the remaining whipped cream all over the cake with a palette knife or spatula evenly.

Step 36

Cover cake with a dome shaped or round bowl. Keep the cake in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours so that the whipping cream icing sets.

Step 37

Slice the strawberries which we had chilled for decorating the cake and set them aside. Make sure these strawberries are not sweet and not sour. Optionally you can also sprinkle some chocolate shavings or grated chocolate on the whipped cream.

Step 38

Remove the cake and decorate the cake with the fresh strawberry slices.

Step 39

Serve the strawberry cream cake immediately.

Step 40

Or you can keep it covered in the fridge and then serve later.

Step 41

It is advisable to finish this strawberry cream cake in a day or two.