Grease and double line a tall 19 cm (7.5 inch) cake tin.
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F).
Put the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until pale.
Add the eggs, vanilla and milk and whisk again
Sift in the flour then fold together.
Spoon into the lined tin and level off.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden. Leave to cool in the tin until safe to touch, then release onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the vanilla cream
Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Gently whisk until slightly thickened with soft peaks.
Assemble the cake
Cut the cake into two halves using a sharp serrated knife.
Place the bottom cake half on a board, cut side up.
Top with the strawberries.
Now add the cream.
Put the second cake half on top, cut side down.
Dust lightly with icing sugar to finish.
To serve, cut the cake into slices with a sharp, serrated knife.
Video
Notes
The cake tin must be high sided, otherwise the cake will rise above the tin and even if the paper holds the shape, the part of the cake over the tin will brown.