Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a 6–7 inch round pan with parchment.

Warm milk and butter together until butter melts; set aside to cool slightly.

Sift cake flour and set aside.

Whisk yolks in a bowl until smooth. Add half the sugar to the yolks and whisk until pale. Stir in the warm milk-butter mixture and the sifted flour; mix just until combined.

In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat to glossy, firm peaks.

Fold one-third of the whipped whites into the yolk batter to loosen it. Gently fold in remaining whites in two additions—preserve air in the batter.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake 18–22 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back. Cool on a rack.

Reserve a handful of strawberries for decoration. Slice the rest.

Toss sliced strawberries with 1.5 teaspoons sugar and let sit 10–20 minutes until juicy.

For a lightly sweet syrup, dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar in 3 tablespoons hot water and fold into the macerated berries.

If using gelatin, sprinkle it over cold water and let bloom 5 minutes. Heat briefly until dissolved; cool slightly.

Chill the mixing bowl and beaters.

Whip heavy cream with confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. If using gelatin, stream the cooled gelatin into the cream while whipping.

If you baked a single layer, slice horizontally into two or three layers.

Place the bottom layer on a cake board. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream, add sliced strawberries, and some macerated strawberries with syrup.

Repeat layers, finishing with a thin crumb coat of cream. Chill for 15–30 minutes.

Apply a final smooth layer of cream and arrange reserved whole strawberries on top. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.