Sponge Cake with Vanilla Cream and Fruit

Sponge cake starts with a fluffy base. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites, whip the whites with the granulated sugar to stiff peaks, then gradually fold in the yolks and vanilla sugar.

Sift the plain flour and gently fold it into the whipped eggs in batches with a spatula, so the batter stays airy.

Pour the batter into a greased 24 cm cake pan and bake in an oven preheated to 170 degrees Celsius for about 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.

Let the baked sponge cool completely and turn it out of the pan onto a rack.

Stir the pudding powder into part of the cold milk with the granulated sugar. Bring the remaining milk to a boil, stir in the dissolved pudding and simmer, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens.

Cover the finished pudding with cling film directly on the surface and let it cool to room temperature.

Beat the softened butter until smooth and, spoon by spoon, beat in the cooled pudding to get a silky buttercream.

Slice the cooled sponge horizontally into two layers. Spread the bottom layer with half of the vanilla cream and arrange the sliced strawberries and peaches on top.

Cover with the second layer, spread the rest of the cream over the top and sides of the cake, and smooth it with a spatula.

Pipe the whipped cream around the edge and decorate the cake with the remaining strawberries and peach slices. Let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.