Remove the leaves from the strawberries, weigh them, and blend into a purée using an immersion blender or food processor. If needed, purée a slightly larger amount and save the extra for another use.

Here’s a handy trick—whisk the cake flour with the oil first. This helps reduce gluten formation and leads to a more tender crumb.

Next, add in the strawberry purée, egg yolks, and a few drops of red gel food coloring. Without food coloring, the cake may turn brownish after baking due to natural strawberry pigments. While the flavor remains the same, a small amount of food coloring will help retain that lovely pink hue.

The finished batter should be thick yet pourable.

Make the Meringue:

Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy, then add lemon juice, vinegar, or cream of tartar. Continue to beat until the mixture becomes whitish and bubbles are fine.

Gradually add the sugar in three additions while continuing to beat on medium speed (speed 6 on a KitchenAid). Though it takes longer than high speed, this gentler method results in a smoother, more stable meringue. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure no sugar is left unmixed.

Continue whipping until stiff peaks form—tips should slightly curl over. Then, lower the speed to 4 and beat for 1 more minute to smooth out any large air bubbles.

Gently fold in 1/3 of the meringue using a whisk, using a cut-and-fold motion. Repeat with the next 1/3.

For the final third, switch to a rubber spatula to ensure thorough mixing, including scraping the bottom of the bowl. Use a gentle but quick fold-over motion until no white streaks remain.

The batter should be fluffy and airy.

Pour the batter into an ungreased chiffon pan. Use a skewer or chopstick to gently swirl through the batter to pop large air bubbles, which helps prevent holes in the baked cake.

Drop the pan gently from a height of about 10 cm (4 inches) a couple of times to release more air bubbles.

Place the pan in the middle rack and bake for 40–45 minutes (adjust time depending on your oven).

Start checking around the 35–40 minute mark. The cake surface should feel dry and spring back when gently pressed. Insert a skewer into the center—it should come out clean. If not, bake a few more minutes.

Don’t worry about cracks on top—that will become the bottom of your cake and won’t affect appearance or taste.

Once baked, drop the pan again from a height of 10 cm to prevent shrinkage. Then immediately invert the pan upside down and let the cake cool completely (1–2 hours). Avoid removing it while still warm.

Once cool, use a spatula or knife to release the edges and center. Gently push the base to lift out the cake, then run the spatula along the bottom to fully release it.

Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge for 15 minutes. Cold tools help cream whip better.

Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract to the chilled bowl. Stir gently first to avoid a sugar cloud. Begin whipping on medium-low speed until soft peaks form.

Set aside ½ cup of this soft whipped cream—refrigerate it for later use in the strawberry frosting.

Continue whipping the remaining cream until firm peaks form, being careful not to overwhip, which can make the texture grainy or turn it into butter.

To the reserved ½ cup, add strawberry jam and red food coloring. Whip again until it reaches stiff peak stage, then refrigerate.

Melt white candy melts over a double boiler (bowl over hot water without touching). Add green gel coloring and mix.

Use the back of a teaspoon to smear petal shapes onto parchment paper. Chill in the fridge until hardened—this should take less than 5 minutes.

Carefully slice the cooled chiffon cake horizontally into three even layers.

Place the bottom layer on a cake board or plate. If you have a turntable, even better!

Spread a layer of whipped cream, then scatter ⅓ of the chopped strawberries over it. Add another layer of cream to cover.

Repeat with the second layer, whipped cream, and more strawberries.

Place the final layer on top and frost the whole cake—top and sides—with the remaining white whipped cream. Smooth the surface using an offset spatula or bench scraper. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Then, spread the pink strawberry whipped cream around the bottom half of the cake and smooth it out.

Attach the candy petals to the cake (around the base or wherever looks best). Return the cake to the fridge to chill 3–4 hours or overnight to set.

Before serving, top with fresh strawberries, whole or halved.

Keep any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge. It stays fresh for 2–3 days.