Line the bottom of an 18 cm round cake pan with parchment paper. You don’t need to grease the sides. Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F).

In a heat-safe bowl, combine the milk, butter, honey, and vanilla. Microwave until the butter is fully melted, then stir and set aside. Keep this mixture warm, not hot.

In a large bowl, whip the eggs and granulated sugar on high speed until very pale, thick, and fluffy. The batter should fall in ribbons and stay on the surface for a few seconds when you lift the whisk.

Sift the cake flour into the batter and gently fold just until a few streaks of flour remain. This helps prevent overmixing.

Add a small amount of the batter to the warm milk and butter mixture and mix well. Pour everything back into the main bowl and gently fold until all the flour is fully incorporated. Be careful not to mix too much or the batter may deflate.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release large air bubbles.

Bake at 170°C for 27 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing and assembling.

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Remove from the heat, stir in the kirschwasser, and let the syrup cool completely.

Place your mixing bowl and whisk in the refrigerator or freezer until very cold. Cold equipment helps the cream whip properly and stay stable.

Add the heavy cream and sugar to the chilled bowl.

Whip on medium speed until soft to medium peaks form. The cream should look smooth and glossy, and the tip should gently bend when you lift the whisk. Be careful not to overwhip.

Immediately scoop out about 40 g of the whipped cream into a small bowl, cover it, and refrigerate. This portion will be used later for piping decorations.

Use the remaining cream for filling and frosting the cake. As a rough guide:

First filling layer: about 70 g

Second filling layer: about 70 g

Sides and top: about 110–120 g

When you’re ready to decorate, take the reserved 40 g of cream from the fridge and briefly re-whip it until slightly firmer peaks form. This cream should hold its shape well for piping.

Wash and slice the strawberries, then place them on a paper towel for a few minutes to absorb excess moisture. This helps keep the cream from turning watery or pink.

Once the cake is completely cool, place it on a cake turntable if you have one. Lightly mark the sides of the cake to guide even slicing, then slice the cake horizontally into three even layers.

Place the bottom cake layer on your serving plate and brush the top lightly with simple syrup.

Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake, add a layer of sliced strawberries, then cover with another thin layer of cream.

Place the second cake layer on top, brushing the bottom side with simple syrup before placing it down. Brush a little more syrup on the top, then repeat with cream, strawberries, and cream.

Add the final cake layer on top. Spread a thin layer of cream over the entire cake as a crumb coat. Chill briefly if needed.

Finish with a thicker layer of cream over the sides and top. Try to work gently so crumbs don’t mix into the final layer.

Use the re-whipped piping cream to decorate the cake as desired, then top with fresh strawberries.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. It tastes even better after resting in the fridge for a few hours, once all the flavors have had time to come together.