Last year Wimbledon fans munched their way through 142,000 helpings of strawberries and 7,000 litres of fresh cream. Here are a selection of recipes to help you make the most of these succulent summer berries.

WITH British strawberry season in full flow, it doesn’t take much for you to score top points with a pudding that everyone will love.

Strawberry fans are in for a treat because this summer’s crops are expected to be better than ever, thanks to our frosty spring.

“Due to the harsh weather, the plants have grown very slowly, and as a result they’ve put down good, strong root systems,” says Laurence Olins, chairman of British Summer Fruits, an organisation which represents 85 per cent of growers supplying berries to UK supermarkets.

“Because of this slow growth, the flavour has developed really well. Growers up and down the country are now reporting that the fruit is up to 40 per cent sweeter and 15 per cent larger than normal, so it could even be a vintage year for British strawberries.”

To ensure strawberries taste their best, Olins advises keeping them cool, taking them out of the fridge an hour before eating and washing them carefully to prevent bruising.

With so many strawberry varieties available, take advantage of this year’s ‘berry’ juicy crop with these three recipes for a succulent summer: treat.

  • FRAISIER (Serves 12-15)

For the cake: 3 eggs 100g caster sugar 100g self-raising flour 4tsp kirsch or creme de framboise 500-600g strawberries (reserve a large one to decorate the top of the cake) For the Creme Mousseline: 6 eggs 240g caster sugar 50g plain flour 500ml semi-skimmed milk 250g butter, at room temperature 2tsp kirsch or creme de framboise A few drops of vanilla extract To decorate Pink food colouring 200g marzipan Recipe requires one 23cm round, springform cake tin and non-stick baking parchment Preheat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Grease and line cake tin.

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl, using an electric whisk, until they are very pale and have doubled in volume. Sift over a third of the flour and fold in gently using large metal spoon. Fold in the remaining flour in two batches.

Carefully transfer mixture to tin, spreading it evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Leave to cool for a few minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.

For the Creme Mousseline, firstly make a creme patissiere by putting eggs, sugar, flour and 200ml of the milk in a saucepan and heating gently, stirring continuously, until it simmers.

Keep stirring until thickened and smooth, then gradually stir in remaining milk. Simmer gently for about three minutes. Dice half the butter and stir it in until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, press a piece of clingfilm over surface to prevent skin forming, and leave to cool.

Put remaining butter in large bowl and beat with electric mixer until soft and creamy. Gradually beat in cooled pastry cream until you have a smooth, light mixture. Beat in kirsch and vanilla, then chill.

To assemble, cut sponge in half horizontally using large serrated knife. Put one half into the cake tin you used earlier and brush all over with kirsch, then, using a palette knife, spread a thin layer of Creme Mousseline over it.

Cut about 12-14 strawberries in half lengthways and place around the edge of the cake, cut sides touching the tin, points upwards. Fill the centre with whole strawberries. Spread Creme Mousseline on top to cover strawberries and fill gaps.

Brush the second sponge layer all over with kirsch, then place on top and press down gently. Remove cake from the tin and cover top and sides with the remaining Creme Mousseline.

To finish, knead a little pink colouring into the marzipan until you have an even colour. On a surface dusted with icing sugar, roll out marzipan to 3mm thick. Cut out a 23cm circle, place on top of the cake and smooth out. Decorate the top of the cake with a sliced, fanned strawberry. Put the cake in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving.

Recipe by Claire Melvin from the Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook by Lynn Hill, published by Quercus, £20. (Photography by Emily Dennison)

  • PIMM’S JELLIES O’CLOCK

(Serves 6) 200ml cloudy lemonade 100ml ginger beer 200ml Pimm’s No 1 100ml freshly squeezed orange juice A squeeze of lemon juice 100g caster sugar 4 leaves of fine-leaf gelatine ¼ cucumber, peeled, diced 150g strawberries, peeled, chopped 1tbsp finely shredded mint Mix lemonade, ginger beer, Pimm’s, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar in pan until simmering.

Meanwhile, soak gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.

Take pan off heat. Squeeze excess water out of the gelatine and drop it into the hot Pimm’s mixture. Stir to dissolve.

Pour liquid into large jug and, when cool, transfer to fridge until barely set (this may take up to four hours). Mix diced cucumber, strawberries and mint into the jelly mixture and divide between six glasses. Transfer to the fridge and leave to set fully overnight.

  • Recipe from Sainsbury’s magazine.