1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Do not spray the sides with nonstick spray.

2. Make the strawberry jam. In a small saucepan, add strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. Heat until sugar is dissolved and strawberries release their natural juices.

Remove from heat. Add a drop of red food gel (if desired). This will help the strawberry jam be a bright red color, but it is not necessary.

Using an immersion blender, or a stand blender, blend mixture until smooth.

Add cornstarch and cold water to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour into strawberry mixture.

Add strawberry mixture back on stovetop over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened.

Remove from heat and pour into heat proof bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Make the pastry cream.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan, add the milk and heavy cream. Heat over medium heat, just until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from the heat.

While whisking the egg mixture, slowly pour 1/3 of the warm milk mixture in. Whisk until fully combined, then slowly pour, while whisking the egg mixture, another 1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk until completely combined.

Pour the warmed up egg mixture through a fine mesh sieve, back into the pan with the remaining milk mixture. This is to remove any eggs that may have scrambled.

Over medium low heat, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and add in the butter, salt and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

Pour into a heat proof, shallow bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

4.  Make the cake. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium high speed until the mixture is light in color, triples in volume and runs off the whisk attachment. This should take 5-10 minutes and is called the ribbon stage.

Add in the sifted flour and salt and fold the flour into the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add the cooled, melted butter around the edges of the mixing bowl. Fold to combine.

5. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the center springs back when you gently press on it. The top will be golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Run a knife along the edge of the cake. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the. Pan, then remove the cake from the pan and place on wire cooling rack.

7. Make the Diplomat Cream.

Add the softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in the pastry cream and beat until smooth and creamy.

Add the heavy cream and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream mixture.

8. Asssemble.

Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add sugar and water. Stir frequently until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Cut the sponge cake in half, horizontally.

Place one half with the crumb facing up, into an 8-inch ring mold, lined with parchment paper, or you can use an 8-inch springform pan, lined with parchment paper.

Brush the cake with half the simple syrup, then pipe a circular line of strawberry jam, so that there is enough room in between to pipe the diplomat cream.

Pipe the diplomat cream in between the strawberry jam.

Place thin slices of strawberries around the perimeter, then sprinkle, small chopped strawberries in the center. Pipe the diplomat cream around the tops and in between the strawberry slices along the perimeter.

Place the other half of cake on top, crumb side facing up. Brush with simple syrup, then top with remaining diplomate cream. Add additional slices of strawberries on top of the cake, if desired.

9. Cover and place in refrigerator 4 hours.

10. To achieve a glossy shine on the strawberries on top, heat up some strawberry jam, or apricot jam in the microwave until smooth, runny and completely melted. Brush over top of the strawberries.

11. Serve and enjoy!