Ingredients

• 2 free-range eggs
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 15g/½oz unsalted butter
• melted
• plus extra for greasing
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• sifted
• 1 x 135g/5oz packet strawberry jelly
• 450g/1lb strawberries
• 2 x 170g/6oz tins evaporated milk
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate (or milk
• if you prefer)
• chopped
• 5 strawberries

Directions

• First make the sponge. Heat your oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in springform tin.
• Put the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Use an electric whisk to whisk them together until thick
• pale and moussey and doubled in volume. The mixture should hold a trail when you lift the beaters out of the mixture. Take off the heat.
• Fold the melted butter gently into the egg mousse
• then gently fold in the flour. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 15–20 minutes
• or until cooked and lightly golden-brown. Leave to cool completely
• then remove the sponge from the tin and peel off the parchment paper.
• Line the sides of the same tin with baking parchment
• first snipping a line of little ‘feet’ along the base of the paper so it will fit snugly against the base. Put the sponge base back into the tin.
• To make the mousse
• break up the jelly and put in a pan with a tablespoon of water. Melt gently over a low heat until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside. Purée 200g/7oz of the strawberries in a blender until smooth and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. Hull the remaining strawberries and cut in half top-to-toe (or slice into three if large).
• Using an electric whisk
• or a free-standing mixer with a whisk attachment
• whisk the evaporated milk for at least five minutes
• or until it is thick
• bubbly and doubled in volume. Gently fold in the liquid jelly
• then fold in the strawberry purée.
• Arrange the strawberry slices around the edge of the lined tin
• cut side against the tin. Scatter any extra strawberries over the sponge.
• Pour the strawberry mousse into the tin
• levelling the top. It doesn’t matter if the mousse doesn’t quite cover the strawberries. Place in the fridge for at least two hours to set.
• To decorate
• melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Dip a few strawberries in the melted chocolate and leave to set.
• Pour the remaining chocolate into a paper piping bag. Snip the end off the piping bag and drizzle lines of chocolate over the top of the mousse (alternatively use a piping bag with a fine plain nozzle attached). Place the chocolate dipped strawberries in the centre and serve.