1

Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas mark 3½. Put the egg whites in the bowl of a freestanding mixer and add the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt. Whisk on medium speed until the egg whites form stiff peaks that hold their shape when the whisk is removed. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder, a couple of tablespoons at a time, whisking well between each addition.

2

Pour the mixture into an ungreased, unlined, loose-bottomed 25cm angel food or chiffon cake tin. If you don’t have either of these, use a nonstick bundt cake tin that’s been misted with calorie controlled cooking spray. Smooth the surface with a spatula to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.

3

Add the vanilla bean paste or extract and half the flour, and gently fold in using a metal spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well incorporated. Fold in the rest of the flour and the cornflour until you have a smooth batter.

4

Turn the tin upside down and leave on a wire rack for around 45 minutes to an hour to allow the cake to cool completely. Run a knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the tin.

5

To make the icing, put the soft cheese, cocoa powder and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk together using a hand-held electric whisk. Pipe 14 rosettes of the frosting around the top of the cake and put half a strawberry on each rosette to decorate, then dust with the extra cocoa powder and serve.