Recipe video (my You Tube channel)https://youtu.be/Ev5bqxAtYM8
For the sponge cakePreheat an oven to 190 / 374 F. Sift the cake flour twice. Put unsalted butter, milk, and honey in a small bowl; set aside. Prepare hot water to warm egg mixture (low heat).
Beat egg lightly until becomes watery. Add granulated sugar and mix lightly. Warm it in hot water until it reaches body temperature.
Take the egg mixture out of the hot water. Warm the milk, butter, and honey in the hot water (extremely low heat); set aside.
Whip the egg mixture with a hand mixer on high speed. The batter falls slowly forming a ribbon. It should hold it's shape for a few moments. Whip it slowly on low speed for 1.5 mins to make bubbles smaller and the same size.
Add the flour in 2 parts. Fold it about 20 times after 1st addition. Fold it until the powderiness disappears after 2nd addition. (30-40 times)
Add a small amount of the batter to the warmed butter, milk, and honey. Mix well until smooth. Put it back to the cake batter. Fold it until combined (30 times). Please mix the batter of the bottom sometimes.
Pour it into a baking sheet and flatten it. Drop the sheet lightly about several times to remove large bubbles. Bake it at 170 / 338 F for 15 mins.
Drop the sheet to prevent the cake from shrinking. Take the cake out of the sheet. Let it cool. When cooled, peel off the parchment paper.
For the syrupAdd hot water to granulated sugar and stir to melt. Add brandy and stir.
Assemble the cake!Cut out 3 circles from the sponge sheet with a 12 cm (4.7'') mousse ring. Cut out 3 circles from the sponge sheet with a 6 cm (2.4'') mousse ring. Brush both sides of each layer with the syrup.
Add granulated sugar to heavy cream. Whip it while cooling with ice water until it becomes heavy; set aside. Put granulated sugar and strawberry powder, mix well. Add water and mix well until combined.
Add the strawberry mixture to the whipped cream in 2-3 parts. Mix it with a spatula. Cut strawberries vertically in half.
Lay the first layer. Put the strawberry cream on top of the first layer and spread it. Pipe swirls of whipped cream along the edge of the cake. Place strawberries on the inside of the cream of swirls. Pipe the cream between each strawberry to fill the gap.
Add the second layer of cake. Repeat the steps of spreading the cream, piping swirls, and filling the inside with strawberries and cream.
Add the third layer of cake. Repeat the steps of spreading the cream and piping swirls. Top the cake with the remaining strawberries. Assemble mini-cake (6cm / 2.4-inch) in the same way. It's all done!
