1-Preheat your oven: to 160 °C (320 °F) if you have a fan, or 175 °C (347 °F) without one, so everything’s set for even baking. This simple setup helps your cake rise just right and gives it that light, airy texture we love.

2-Line the cake tins and prepare dry ingredients: First, line the bottom of two 8×3 inch cake tins with baking paper, but leave the sides bare to keep the cake from shrinking. In a bowl, combine ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (60 g) cornstarch, ¼ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt; mix it well and set it aside for later. Now, separate the egg whites and yolks from 4 large eggs, making sure they’re at room temperature for the best whip.

3-Whip the egg whites: In another bowl, whip the egg whites with ⅛ tsp white vinegar on medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds, then slowly add ⅓ cup of the ⅔ cup (132 g) white granulated sugar until stiff peaks form, which takes around 4 minutes.

4-Prepare the egg yolk mixture: In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar with 1½ tbsp warm water, add the egg yolks and 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract, and whip on medium-high for 4 minutes, then low for 1 minute until thick. While mixing on medium, stream in 2 tbsp (30 g) unflavored vegetable oil gradually.

5-Fold and bake: Gently fold half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to keep that air in, then sift in the dry ingredients and fold until combined. Add the rest of the egg whites carefully to avoid losing bubbles, pour the batter into your tins, tap lightly, and use a knife to pop any big air pockets. Bake for 25 minutes, checking by pressing the top it should bounce back slowly.

6-Cooling and assembly: Once done, tap the cakes from about 10 cm height and cool them upside down in the tins on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Run a thin knife around the edges, invert onto racks, and rub off any dark crust for a neat look. For assembly, dissolve ½ cup (100 g) sugar in ½ cup (110 g) boiling water to make simple syrup, brush it on the cakes, whip 2 cups (375 g) cold whipping cream with 2 tsp icing sugar and ½ tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form, and layer with 1 batch raspberry jam, halved strawberries, and cream.