Servings: 12 to 14

Cake: subheading: Cake:
5 medium eggs, separated 5 medium eggs, separated
250g caster sugar 250g caster sugar
dash white wine vinegar or lemon juice dash white wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoon poppy seeds 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
200g plain flour 200g plain flour
handful of elderflower blossoms to decorate, when in season (optional) handful of elderflower blossoms to decorate, when in season (optional)
Filling: subheading: Filling:
400ml double cream 400ml double cream
100g caster sugar 100g caster sugar
75ml elderflower cordial 75ml elderflower cordial
500g strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters 500g strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until foamy.
In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with the vinegar/lemon juice until frothy, then gradually add the rest of the sugar and keep whisking until you have soft peaks.
In a third bowl, mix the poppy seeds into the flour.
Add the whisked egg whites to the egg yolk mixture, starting with one big spoonful to loosen the yolk mixture. Confidently fold in the rest of the egg whites apart from 2 large spoonfuls. With a spatula, fold in the flour and poppy seeds, then the last of the egg whites. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Put on a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, for the filling, whip cream and sugar to soft peaks, taking care not to over-whip.
Ease the cooled cake out of the tin and then cut in half horizontally. Drizzle the cordial over the cut sides. Sandwich together with half the cream and half the strawberries, then spoon the other half of the cream on top. Scatter with the remaining strawberries and, if you can get hold of some, elderflowers.