Tender cake
Description
Gentle "Dream" cake is very similar to the famous "Fraise" cake: airy sponge cake combined with strawberry mousse, jelly, and sweet syrup create an incredible dessert. It's best to prepare this cake in summer when strawberries are at their most nutritious and fresh. I recommend using a 24 cm diameter mold to achieve the optimal cake height. Be sure to cool the strawberry purée to room temperature before adding it to the cream, so the cream doesn't curdle.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Pour cold boiled water over the gelatin, stir and leave to swell. Puree the strawberries with a blender. Line a 20 cm mold with plastic wrap.
- 2
Step 2
2. Pour cold boiled water over the starch and mix thoroughly. Bring the strawberry purée to a boil, add sugar, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Finally, add the starch and mix the mixture well.
- 3
Step 3
3. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and gelatin, and stir until completely dissolved. Mix in the fresh strawberry pieces. Pour into a mold, making sure the layer is no thicker than 1.5 cm.
- 4
Step 4
4. Sift the flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Line the bottom of a springform pan with silicone baking paper. Mix the soft butter with sugar and vanilla sugar, and beat for 1 minute.
- 5
Step 5
5. Add the room temperature eggs and continue beating for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the strawberry purée, a few drops of red food coloring, and mix thoroughly. Combine with the flour mixture in two additions.
- 6
Step 6
6. Spread the dough into the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 30 minutes. Leave the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Combine water with strawberry purée and sugar.
- 7
Step 7
7. Bring to a boil in the microwave, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved, and cool. Pour cold boiled water over the gelatin and leave to bloom. Level the top of the cake base and trim the sides.
- 8
Step 8
8. Place the cake layer on a dish and soak it with strawberry syrup. Place a ring around the cake, line the inside with acetate film, and close the ring. Arrange halved strawberries around the perimeter, cut side facing the mold.
- 9
Step 9
9. Bring the strawberry purée to a boil, add sugar, and cook for another 5 minutes after boiling. Dissolve the swollen gelatin in the strawberry purée and stir well. Cool the mixture in a bowl with cold water. Whip the chilled cream into a fluffy mass.
- 10
Step 10
10. Gradually combine them with the strawberry purée in several additions, gently stirring with a spatula. Spread slightly less than half of the cream into the mold. Remove the film from the strawberry layer and place it on top, pressing down slightly.
- 11
Step 11
11. Spread the remaining cream, smooth it out, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cake for 6–8 hours. Remove the ring and the plastic wrap, then decorate with halves of fresh strawberries.