Hot Milk Sponge Cake

It is sad to think that this Sunday will be our first Mothers Day without Ruth.  I know if she were still here she would be making this cake for Sunday dinner.  Hot milk sponge cake was always served as shown, with strawberries and whipped cream, usually in the months of May and June when strawberries are in season in California.  Mom usually bought strawberries from a roadside stand where they were picked straight from the field.  I've never tasted better strawberries, or a better way to eat them.

1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Put eggs in a large bowl and beat with rotary beater until very light.  Keep beating while adding sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.  Add salt and flavorings.
Heat milk and butter in a saucepan just to boiling point.  Add all at once to egg mixture.  Mix in.  Combine flour and baking powder and add all at once to the batter.  Beat with mixer until smooth.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

To serve, mash 2 or 3 cups of strawberries and sweeten with sugar.  Add desired amount of sliced strawberries.  Slice a square of sponge cake in half and cover both layers with strawberry mixture.  Top with whipped cream.