Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease two 6-inch baking tins with butter, and line the base of each with baking parchment. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking powder.
In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs into the bowl one at a time, ensure each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture & gently fold together with a spatula. Once folded together, add the milk & stir together until smooth and even.
Evenly divide the batter into the two prepared tins & bake in the pre-heated oven for 25-minutes, or until the cakes are a light golden brown & a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 15-minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a large bowl, beat together the icing sugar & mascarpone until creamy. Slowly add the cream into the mix & beat until it is a spreadable consistency.
To assemble, place one of the cake layers on a serving plate & spread generously with a thick layer of frosting. Slice up some of the strawberries & place over the frosting, even push a few slices into the sides of the frosting. Place the second layer of cake on top of the strawberries/frosting. Cover the cake with an equally generous layer of frosting as before, & use an offset spatula/knife to smooth out the frosting around the edges of the entire cake, creating a thin layer all over. Slice the remaining strawberries & use as decoration on the top of the cake or on the plate.