Cherie Tu’s Strawberry Maple Cake Jars

For the Strawberry Filling and Syrup:

• 1/2 punnet Fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 tbsp Pure Canadian Maple Syrup
• 1 tsp Lemon juice

For the cake:

• 1 cup Room temperature unsweetened soy milk
• 1 tbsp White or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup Pure Canadian maple syrup
• 2/3 cup Neutral oil
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt

For the maple coconut whipped cream:

• 1 can Full-fat coconut cream, chilled
• 1 tbsp Pure Canadian maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

For assembling:

• 4 whole Strawberries
• Fresh thyme or mint

for the filling:

1. To make the maple strawberry filling, combine the diced strawberries, maple syrup and lemon juice in a small bowl or airtight container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The strawberries will soften and release their juices, creating a naturally sweet strawberry-maple syrup. Separate them and set aside to use once ready to assemble the cake jars.

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional. Grease and line a 20×20 cm square cake tin with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle slightly, creating a vegan buttermilk.
3. Whisk in the maple syrup, oil and vanilla until well combined.
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk or fold together until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden.
6. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the coconut cream:

1. To make the whipped cream, scoop only the thick coconut cream from the top of the chilled can into a large chilled mixing bowl. You should have approximately 1 cup of thick coconut cream. Reserve the remaining liquid for smoothies or other recipes.
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until thick and fluffy. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat for a further minute until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble:

1. Once the cake has completely cooled, trim off the top crust if desired for a neater finish. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out cake rounds or simply cut the cake into small cubes.
2. Begin with a layer of cake and lightly brush it with the reserved strawberry-maple syrup. Press the strawberry halves, cut-side facing out, against the inside of the glass so they’re visible from the outside. Spoon or pipe in the maple whipped cream until just over the level of the strawberries. Use the back of the spoon to create a small well in the centre before adding some of the maple-soaked strawberries. Repeat with another layer of cake, strawberry syrup and whipped cream.
3. Finish with a whole strawberry and a sprig of fresh thyme or mint, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.