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.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine butter and milk over medium heat just until butter is melted. Do not let it boil.

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.

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.

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.

Without filling, cakes can be wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 2 months.

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.

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.

Cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.