Step 1

Prepare the strawberry cheesecake and vanilla cake the day before.

Step 2

Whip the cream cheese with half of the sugar (50g or ¼ cup).

Step 3

Add the strawberries and lemon juice to a blender and pulse to make a puree. Sieve the strawberry puree to remove any seeds.

Step 4

Mix the gelatine into warm milk (not hot) and let it bloom for 5-10 minutes. Afterwards, microwave for 10 seconds to melt it slightly. Add the gelatine into the strawberry puree and mix well to combine. Mix the strawberries into the whipped cream cheese.

Step 5

Separately, whip the heavy (or double) cream with the remaining sugar until it reaches soft-medium peaks. Fold it into the strawberry cream cheese mixture using a spatula.

Step 6

Place the cheesecake mixture into a 20 cm (8-inch) pan or cake ring and let it set in the fridge overnight (minimum 6-8 hours). Alternatively, freeze for 2-3 hours.

Step 7

Pre-heat your oven to 170°C (340°F), fan assisted. Prepare two 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans by lining the bottom with baking paper and greasing the sides with butter and flour.

Step 8

In a large bowl add the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Give them a whisk to combine. Add in the butter, then use your mixer on a low setting to combine them. The mixture shouldn't be sticky or tacky, it should feel like sand.

Step 9

Add half of the milk and all the oil into the flour. Mix on medium for 2 minutes, until the mixture looks fluffy like thick buttercream. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.

Step 10

In a small bowl add the remaining milk, vanilla paste, and eggs, whisking quickly. Start pouring the milk mixture over the batter, mixing slowly to incorporate the liquids. Once the liquid is incorporated, stop mixing. The batter needs to be fluffy and quite thick, not runny.

Step 11

Divide the cake batter between the two prepped cake pans. Tap the bottom of the pan or use a skewer to swirl the batter around to release any air bubbles.

Step 12

Bake both cakes in the middle rack of your preheated oven for 30-32 minutes. Do not open the oven throughout baking. After 30 minutes insert a skewer into the cake to check if it’s cooked through. If the skewer is clean, the cake is ready. If there’s any batter on the skewer, bake for a few minutes longer and check again every 3-4 minutes.

Step 13

Once baked, let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then ease them out. Place the cake upside down on a cooling rack to flatten the top.

Step 14

When the cakes are cooled, cover them in plastic wrap and chill overnight or freeze for at least 40 minutes.

Step 15

Cut half of the strawberries into cubes, then add them to a saucepan. Add the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract on top, mixing them well.

Step 16

Cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the fruit breaks into smaller chunks.

Step 17

Separately, mix the corn starch and water, making sure there are no lumps. Add the mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. The sauce should feel slightly runny, but not very liquid. If required, mix more cornstarch and water and add it to the sauce to thicken. Let the compote cool completely before using.

Step 18

Cut the remaining strawberries into slices and add to a bowl with a few teaspoons of sugar. Give them a mix around to coat them in sugar, then chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. Remove the excess syrup before using the strawberry slices. Use the remaining syrup to brush the cakes.

Step 19

For the full method check out my White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting post. You will need 3x the quantity indicated in this post.

Step 20

Add the biscuits and freeze-dried strawberries to a food processor. Pulse a few times to get a crumbly texture. There should be larger chunks of biscuits for added texture.

Step 21

If necessary, level the vanilla cake with a knife to make the layers perfectly flat and even. Add the first layer of cake on the bottom. Pipe a ring of cream cheese frosting on the perimeter of the layer to seal in the filling.

Step 22

I recommend using a cake ring for this step. Add the strawberry compote (or jam) and thinly sliced fresh strawberries. Add a thin layer of cream cheese frosting on top of the strawberries to seal them in, levelling it with a spatula.

Step 23

Add the layer of strawberry cheesecake on top and gently press to make it stick to the frosting.

Step 24

Pipe a ring of frosting on the perimeter of the cheesecake, then fill the inside with strawberry compote. Add more slices of strawberries, then pipe a thin layer of frosting on top to seal them in. Level everything with a spatula.

Step 25

Put the remaining vanilla cake layer on top, pressing it gently into place. Place everything in the fridge for 2-3 hours until the frosting hardens.

Step 26

Cover the entire cake in cream cheese frosting. Level everything out with a spatula to give it a smooth finish.

Step 27

Fit the frosting piping bag with a cupcake star-shaped nozzle. Angle the nozzle at 45 degrees, then pipe in a swirling motion around the top perimeter of the cake. You can also pipe dollops of frosting to create the border.

Step 28

Fill the inside of the ring with some strawberry compote, then sprinkle the crunchy crumbles on top.

Step 29

Add more crunchy crumbles on the sides of the cake, towards the bottom. You can add as much or as little as you like.

Step 30

Decorate the top with fresh strawberries, berries and mint leaves. Chill the cake for 2-3 hours before cutting and serving.