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For the cake:
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Preheat the oven to 350 F.
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Place the sugar in a medium bowl and add the zest of the lemon, the lemon juice, and the vanilla. Add the butter and mix everything together.
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Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until they are uniformly yellow. Then pour them into the butter mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in the milk as well.
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In another medium bowl mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and whisk to combine.
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Pour the batter into a greased 9 1/2 inch rectangular loaf pan and bake until a cake tester comes out cleanly, about 50 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and let cake cool in the pan.
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For the strawberries:
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Place the strawberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture over high heat, mashing the strawberries as you go. Use a spoon or a potato masher and continue until it is the consistency of a loose jam. This takes around 30 minutes. Then remove pan from the heat and set it aside to let the mixture cool completely before you use it.
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For the trifle:
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Using a hand mixer, whip the cream but be careful not to over whip it. For this trifle I like the cream to be soft and not stiff, as is usually more desirable.
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Slice the cake into slices about half an inch thick. Slice a few pieces at a time. I found I still had a nub of extra cake. Place a layer of cake (about a third of the total amount) in the bottom of a tall bowl or trifle dish. Sometimes it can be helpful to place a couple slices up the sides as well. Cover the slices in a layer of whipped cream (about a third of it), then a layer of the strawberries (about a third). Follow with another third of each ingredient: a layer of cake, a layer of cream and a layer of strawberries. Finish with a final layer of cake, a final layer of cream and a final layer of strawberries. Place in the fridge before serving. This dessert benefits from being made ahead of time. It is best the next day. Enjoy!
