Strawberry Cupcake Pie

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil for the mold
• 1 package (500 g) of vanilla cake mix, plus the required ingredients
• 3 cups fresh strawberries, quartered (about 500 g)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 2 (diameter 30 cm.) chilled layers of shortcrust pastry (See the shortcrust pastry recipe here)
• Wheat flour, for dusting
• Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a round baking pan with vegetable oil. Form the cake mixture into a batter; fill the prepared pan three-quarters full. Bake the cake until the edges are set but the center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the strawberry filling: combine the strawberries with granulated sugar and salt in a bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes.
3. Place 1 sheet of shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Using a knife, cut the sheet into 2-3 cm wide strips and transfer to a serving platter.
4. Place the remaining dough sheet on the board. Cut three 2.5 cm wide strips from the center of the circle and press the ends together to form one long strip. (This will be used to form the edge of the pie.)
5. Drizzle the strawberry juice over the cake and arrange the strawberries on top, pressing them lightly into the surface. Increase the oven temperature to 230°C.
6. Place half of the dough strips on the strawberries, leaving a distance of 2.5 cm from each other, placing the shorter strips on the edges.
7. Fold the stacked strips in half. Place one new strip in the center of the pie, perpendicular to the others. Unfold the folded strips, intertwining them with the perpendicular strip. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough to create a lattice pattern on the pie. Trim any excess edges.
8. Place a long strip of dough around the pie. Trim off any excess dough and pinch the ends. Use your fingers to press the strip into the pan, then form a decorative edge.
9. Sprinkle the top with coarse sugar and continue baking the pie until golden brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. (If the dough burns, cover the top with foil.) Serve the cupcake pie with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.