Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the sides and line the base of a 22 cm (9 inch) round springform cake tin with parchment paper.

• Hull, wash and pat dry the strawberries with absorbent paper or a clean tea towel.
• Divide the strawberries into two piles. Make one pile with strawberries that are roughly the same size, cut these in half length wise and use for the topping. Roughly chop the remining half of the strawberries and use for the filling. Put aside.
• Into a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt together. Put aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until thick and cream – about 5 minutes.
  
• Add the milk, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix together on low speed until well combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour about ⅓ at a time, until it just combines. Don’t over mix. Use the spatula to scrape down and mix in any flour that may be left on sides of the bowl.
• Pour half the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon if necessary. Evenly spread the top of the batter with the diced strawberries.
  
• Next, drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter evenly over the top, to completely cover the strawberry filling. Pushing down any strawberries that may come to the surface.
• Decoratively arrange the remaining strawberry halves over the top. Just lay them on top of the batter, don't push them in, they will sink slightly during baking.
  
• Bake for about 45– 55 minutes, or until it is cooked or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

  Note: Check the cake about 15 – 20 minutes into cooking time. If the top of the cake has browned to a colour that you like, loosely cover the top with a piece of aluminium foil. This will stop the cake from further browning as it continues to cook.
• Remove from the oven and allow to stand in the tin for 10 - 15 minutes.
• Before removing the sides, carefully run a knife around the outside of the cake.
• Place the cake on a rack, and allow the cake to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar.
  

  To dust with icing sugar. Place 2-3 teaspoons of icing sugar into a sieve, hold it high above the cake, and very gently tap the sieve and allow the icing sugar to lightly cover the cake.
• This cake can be left out overnight (provided it is not hot and humid), after that I recommend it kept in the fridge.