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Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Grease 2 8-inch pans (read note if you have only one pan) and line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release later on.
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In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a small saucepan, combine butter and milk over medium heat just until butter is melted. Do not let it boil.
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In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on high speed until combined and starting to foam, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and keep whisking until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
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Reduce speed to medium-low and add warm milk mixture into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Add flour mixture in 3 additions and fold by hand using a rubber spatula just until combined.
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Pour batter into prepared cake pans and smooth the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake springs back when slightly touched and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert the pan onto the rack. Let cool completely.
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Without filling, cakes can be wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 2 months.
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For the whipped cream: In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream with cheese, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Avoid overbeating.
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Assembling the cake: Set one cake layer on a plate. Arrange about half of the strawberries in a single layer on top. Evenly spread ⅓ – ½ of the whipped cream over the strawberries, leaving a small border around the edge. Top with the second cake layer, this time spreading the whipped cream first and layering the strawberries on top.
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Cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.