Prepare the Strawberries: In a medium bowl, gently combine the quartered strawberries, 50g of caster sugar, vanilla, and the squeeze of lemon juice. Stir carefully to coat the fruit. Set aside at room temperature for at least 20 minutes (or up to an hour) to macerate. This process draws out the juices to create a lovely natural syrup.

Preheat and Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, 50g caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. This ensures everything is evenly distributed.

Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or a food processor on a pulse setting, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. These little pockets of butter are what create the flaky layers.

Combine Wet Ingredients & Form Dough: In a separate jug, whisk together the buttermilk and 60ml of double cream. Pour this into the flour mixture and use a fork to gently bring it together into a shaggy, slightly sticky dough. Be careful not to overmix!

Shape the Shortcakes: Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead it just 3-4 times to bring it together – no more. Pat it out to a thickness of about 2cm (just under an inch). Use a 6-7cm round cutter to stamp out 6-8 shortcakes. You may need to gently bring the scraps together to get the last one or two. I find that pressing the cutter straight down without twisting gives a better rise.

Bake Until Golden: Place the shortcakes on your prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle generously with a little extra caster sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until they are well-risen and a deep golden brown on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly.

Whip the Cream & Assemble: While the shortcakes are cooling, whip the cream. In a chilled bowl, use an electric or stand mixer to beat the cold double cream, sifted icing sugar, and vanilla until soft, billowy peaks form. To assemble, split a warm shortcake in half. Spoon a generous amount of the strawberries and their syrup over the bottom half, top with a large dollop of whipped cream, and place the other half of the shortcake on top.