Prepare the Base: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). In a medium bowl, mix the crushed pretzels, melted butter, and 50g of caster sugar until all the crumbs are evenly coated. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 23x33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish.

Bake the Base: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the base is lightly toasted and fragrant. Once baked, remove it from the oven and set it aside to cool completely. This is a vital step – a warm base will melt the cream cheese filling.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling: While the base cools, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese and 200g of caster sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is completely smooth and free of lumps.

Whip and Combine: In a separate bowl, whip the double cream with the vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as we want to keep the filling light and airy.

Assemble the First Two Layers: Once the pretzel base is completely cool to the touch, carefully spread the cream cheese filling over it in an even layer. I find using an offset spatula is best for this. Make sure you spread the filling right to the very edges of the dish, creating a seal. This prevents the jelly from leaking down into the base later. Place the dish in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the topping.

Prepare the Strawberry Topping: In a large heatproof bowl or jug, dissolve the two packets of strawberry jelly powder in 500ml of boiling water, stirring until no crystals remain. A good resource for understanding how gelatine sets can be found at BBC Good Food. Once dissolved, stir in 250ml of cold water.

Cool the Jelly: Let the jelly mixture cool at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, or until it's cool but not yet starting to set. If you pour hot jelly onto the cream cheese, it will melt the filling.

Add the Strawberries: Gently stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled jelly mixture.

Final Assembly and Chilling: Carefully pour the strawberry jelly mixture over the chilled cream cheese layer. Transfer the dish back to the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 4 hours, or until the jelly is completely firm.

Serve: Once fully set, slice into squares and serve chilled. Enjoy the wonderful contrast of flavours and textures!