Strawberry Sponge Cake

For the base: separate eggs. Beat egg whites with salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff. Combine egg yolks with remaining sugar and 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water and whisk for about 5 minutes until creamy. Fold in egg whites into egg yolks. Combine flour and baking powder, sift over egg mixture and mix gently.

Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, pour batter and bake on the middle rack in a preheated oven at 175°C (approximately 350°F) for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, loosen from the mold and leave to cool.

Rinse strawberries, pat dry and cut into thin slices. Peel apples and grate coarsely. Mix apples with lemon juice and vanilla sugar, simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Cool.

Soak gelatine in cold water, then dissolve dripping wet in apple mixture.

Cut biscuit base twice horizontally. Heat currant jelly and stir until smooth. Beat whipping cream until stiff and fold into apple mixture.

Lay bottom layer of sponge cake into a cake ring, spread 1 layer of strawberry slices, drizzle with jelly and spread second layer of strawberry slices. Spread with half of apple cream. Place middle cake layer onto cream and repeat berry and cream layers. Top with the third cake layer. Refrigerate for 3 hours.

To decorate, rinse strawberries, pat dry and cut in half. Melt white and dark chocolate separately over hot water bath. Pour chocolate into small freezer bags. Cut off very small corners of  freezer bags and decorate strawberries halves as ladybugs.