Ingredients

• 350g/12oz butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
• 200g/7oz self-raising flour
• plus extra for dusting
• 375g/13oz ripe strawberries
• hulled and cut into quarters
• 300g/10½oz fresh raspberries
• 300g/10½oz fresh blackberries
• 150g/5½oz fresh redcurrants
• stems removed
• 500ml/18fl oz double cream
• very lightly whipped
• 1-2 tsp icing sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm/8in springform cake tins with butter and dust with flour.
• In a bowl
• beat the butter and 200g/7oz of the sugar together using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time
• making sure each is fully incorporated into the mixture before adding the next. Add a little flour to the mixture if it starts to curdle.
• Beat in the vanilla bean paste
• then fold in the flour until just combined.
• Divide the mixture equally between the prepared cake tins and smooth the tops.
• Bake the cakes in the oven for 20-25 minutes
• or until golden-brown and risen. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes should come out clean; if it doesn’t
• return them to the oven for a further 5 minutes and check again.
• Turn the cakes out onto a tea towel-lined wire rack and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile
• dissolve the remaining 150g/5½oz caster sugar in 150ml/5fl oz water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering
• then simmer for 5 minutes
• or until it resembles a light syrup.
• Mix the berries and redcurrants together in a bowl
• then stir all but a handful into the syrup
• until they have softened but not broken down and the mixture resembles a compôte. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• When the cake and compote have both cooled
• place one cake on a serving plate. Spread compôte over it
• followed by the whipped cream
• then spoon a little more compôte on top.
• Gently set the second cake on top of the filling and dust the surface with icing sugar. Garnish the cake with the remaining berries. Serve immediately.