Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Do not grease your angel food cake pan!

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add superfine sugar, one spoonful at a time; beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk in vanilla extract.

Remove bowl from stand mixer. Sift one-third flour over top of egg white mixture; fold ingredients together with a metal spoon. Repeat sifting and folding with remaining flour two more times until fully incorporated. Transfer half the batter into ungreased angel food cake pan; smooth batter evenly with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Top with remaining batter, spreading evenly and smoothing top.

Bake cake until top is puffed, lightly golden, and springs back when touched, 35–40 minutes.

Turn cake upside-down immediately onto a rack after removing from oven; let cool completely. (If your pan has feet, simply rest upside-down on those.) Once completely cool, gently shake the pan and run a knife around the edge to release cake. Cut cake in half horizontally and place bottom half on serving plate.

Whip cream and vanilla bean paste in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form. (Be careful not to overwhip. If you do over-whip your cream, gently whisk in a few additional teaspoons of heavy cream by hand and the mixture will balance out again.)

Cover bottom half of cake with a layer of whipped cream and strawberry halves. Place second layer of cake on top of strawberries; cover cake with remaining whipped cream.

Top cake with remaining strawberries and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store leftover cake, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.