Cut the cooled ready-baked cake into bite-size cubes. Wash strawberries, dry them, remove stems, and slice, reserving a few for the final topping.
Toss sliced berries with granulated sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Drain the collected juice into a small jug rather than discarding it.
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Scrape the bowl thoroughly so no lumps remain before adding the whipped cream.
In a separate cold bowl, whip heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Fold it into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, preserving as much volume as possible.
Arrange half the cake cubes in the bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the reserved berry juice. Add half the berries and half the cream.
Repeat with remaining cake, another small drizzle of juice, remaining berries, and cream. Avoid pouring in all the juice if the cake already feels moist.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing the layers to settle. Keep the bowl level and avoid compressing the cream with the covering.
Add reserved dry berries shortly before serving. Spoon deeply enough to include all layers in each portion and keep leftovers chilled.
