Mix soda & baking powder with refined flour and sieve it.
Cream butter and sugar with a wooden spoon/spatula in a mixing bowl till light and fluffy.
Mix milk powder into the above creamed mixture.
Add flour and liquid milk in small amounts at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add essence and mix well.
Pour the mixture into the greased & floured cake tin and bake in a moderate oven (177 ̊ C) for 30-35 min or till done (insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean it’s done).
Remove from cake tin after it has cooled a little in the tin itself. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into three even layers.
Drain and chill 1 can of fruit cocktail, chop it roughly. Reserve the cherries and syrup for later use.
Whip chilled cream with sugar till soft peak stage, divide into 2 parts and refrigerate 1 portion.
Fold remaining portion of whipped cream with the chopped fruit cocktail.
Start the gateaux assembly by placing the first layer of sponge on serving dish and moistening it with 2-3 tbsp of reserved syrup.
Spread half the cream & fruit mixture evenly on the moistened sponge & cover it with next layer of sponge.
Repeat the process to finish cream & fruit mixture and layers of sponge.
Sprinkle the top layer with little syrup & top it up with chilled whipped cream, spread evenly covering the cake on all sides.
Decorate with remaining whipped cream and cherries, chill for an hour in the refrigerator and serve.
