Strawberry Lemon Gateau for Fathers' Day- vegan

Freeze-dried strawberry sprinkles give this gateau a luscious look

This one has just one layer, but you could make another cake  and sandwich them together with more custard and strawberries; great for a Summer party

Yesterday was Fathers' Day in the UK, and the kids had bought the pressies, so I made the cake.  I wasn't sure what to make as he had been asking for something with caramel and chocolate the night before, then custard that morning. When I went to my local Waitrose I found a punnet of lovely English strawberries reduced by 25% so they became the inspiration for this gateau. I couldn't think of how to make vegan whipped cream, so I settled for custard instead. I'm glad to say my dear husband really liked the cake despite there being no chocolate involved. He is such a dedicated Dad and husband, always there for whoever needs him; always expressing his love for us in so many ways- he truly deserved his special day! <3

400g self-raising flour

200g demerara sugar (you could grind it finer for an even fluffier cake of you want; I didn't have time)

4 tsps baking powder

400ml soya milk

150ml ricebran oil

2 tabs lemon juice

1 tsp natural lemon essence

300-400g fresh ripe strawberries, hulled and halved

freeze-dried strawberry pieces for sprinkling

2 tabs custard powder, 2 tabs sugar and 1 pint soya milk for the topping

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Measure out the soya milk, oil, lemon essence and lemon juice in another container.
• Add the wet mix to the dry ,mix, beating well for about a minute- you should see air pockets starting to form in the mixture; this is the baking powder getting to work to make the cake spongy and light..
• Put the cake batter in a prepared 8-10" silicone mould or cake tin and bake for 20-25 mins in an oven preheated to 180C until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake emerges clean. Cool on a rack.
• Meanwhile, make the custard using a pint of soya milk, as directed on the container. (I used the hob method, but you can also make it in a microwave.) Make sure it's nice and thick before you remove it from the heat.
• Transfer the finished custard to a bowl to cool down. Whisk with a balloon whisk from time to time as it cools to prevent lumps forming.
• When the cake and the custard are both cold, put the cake on a board or plate and spread the custard evenly over the top with a spatula. Just before serving, lay the halved strawberries on top of the custard and finish with generous sprinkles of freeze-dried strawberry pieces.