Sponge Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C).
2. Grease and line a 9-inch square or round cake tin.
3. Place 125 g butter and 1 1/4 cups milk into a saucepan.
4. Heat gently until the butter melts, then bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a large mixing bowl, beat 4 large eggs and 1 1/4 cups caster sugar for exactly 7 minutes.
6. During the sixth minute, add 1 tsp vanilla essence and continue beating. The mixture should become pale, thick, and fluffy.
7. Sift together 2 cups of flour and 2 tsp baking powder.
8. Fold the flour mixture gently into the beaten egg mixture in batches. Work carefully to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
9. Gradually pour in the warm milk and butter mixture while folding gently until fully combined. 
10. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
11. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Icing

1. Sift together 1 1/2 cups icing sugar and 4 Tbsp cocoa powder.
2. Add 125 g softened butter and mix until combined.
3. Add 1/2 tsp vanilla essence.
4. Add 2 to 3 Tbsp milk, 1 Tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition until the icing becomes smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Cake Stacks

1. Once the sponge cake has cooled completely, use a round cutter to cut out circles from the cake.
2. Fit a piping bag with a star tip nozzle and pipe a rosette of chocolate icing onto one cake round.
3. Place a second cake round on top.
4. Pipe another rosette of icing on the top layer.
5. Feel free to do three pieces of cake, but end with frosting.
6. Finish each cake stack with a fresh strawberry.