Strawberry Mirror Cake
Serves 6-8
Sponge Cake
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
3/4C caster sugar + 2Tbsp, extra
1tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1/8tsp cream of tartar
2/3C cake flour
Soaking Syrup
1/2C water
1/3C caster sugar
2Tbsp strawberry liqueur
Strawberry Bavarian Cream
375g strawberries, hulled
2 1/2Tbsp unflavoured gelatin
5 egg yolks
2/3C caster sugar
1 1/2C milk
1Tbsp lemon juice
2-3 drops red food colouring
1 3/4C cream
Strawberry Mirror
550g strawberries, hulled
3/4C caster sugar
3/4C water + 1Tbsp, extra
1tsp lemon juice
1Tbsp strawberry liqueur
1Tbsp unflavoured gelatin
2-3 drops red food colouring
To make sponge cake:
1. Preheat oven to 230C and grease and flour a 28 x 43cm baking tray, or 2 23cm round cake tins. Line the pans with baking paper to fit.
2. Beat together eggs, egg yolks & caster sugar using an electric mixer until thick and pale, add in vanilla extract.
3. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar to stabilise and continue to beat until peaks form. Add in extra caster sugar and beat until stiff and glossy.
4. Sift cake flour over egg yolk mixture and fold in. Stir in a quarter of the egg white mixture and carefully fold in the rest.
5. Spread batter evenly into pan(s) and bake for 7-10 minutes, until light brown and springy. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting out 2 circles about 4cm smaller than your springform pan. Set aside.
To make soaking syrup:
6. Combine water & caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil to dissolve sugar. Cool to room temperature and flavour with liqueur. Set aside.
To make bavarian cream:
7. Puree strawberries and strain to remove seeds. Sprinkle gelatin over the puree and set aside until spongy.
8. Combine egg yolks with sugar and beat until light.
9. Bring milk to the boil and pour over yolk mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until your finger leaves a clear trail when drawn across the back of the spoon. Do not boil.
10. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin mixture. Pour into a stainless steel bowl placed over a bowl of ice water and stir in lemon juice & food colouring. Cool over the ice water, stirring until mixture thickens.
11. Whip cream until soft peaks form and fold into gelatin mixture.
To assemble the cake:
12. Spray a springform pan with oil and fit a cardboard circle covered in foil into the bottom of the pan. Centre one sponge cake layer in the bottom of the pan, brush with some soaking syrup to moisten and pour over half of the bavarian cream.
13. Centre the second sponge cake layer and cover with remaining bavarian cream. Smooth with a spatula and refrigerate until set, around 1-2 hours.
To make strawberry mirror:
14. Crush strawberries with a potato masher in a saucepan over low heat. Add sugar & water and simmer slowly for 10 minutes.
15. Pour juice and pulp through a damp jelly bag (or tea towel pegged to a large bowl) and drain for 15 minutes, without pressing down on the fruit.
16. Place lemon juice, liqueur & extra water in a small bowl and sprinkle over gelatin. Set aside until spongy and soft.
17. Measure out 1 1/2C of the strained strawberry juice and place in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and pour over gelatin mixture. Stir to dissolve gelatin and add red food colouring.
18. Place bowl over a bowl of ice water and stir until the mixture is syrupy. Pour syrupy mixture over the top of the cake and refrigerate until set.
To serve:
19. Heat sides of pan up slightly using a hair dryer or warm tea towel.
20. Run a knife around the edge of the mirror, making sure to separate it from the edge all the way around. Unlatch the springform pan slowly.
21. Decorate, slice into wedges and serve.
Nutritional Information: (per 6 or 8 serves)
Energy 3623 or 2718kJ, Protein 25 or 19g, Fat (Total) 30 or 23g (Saturated) 16 or 12g, Carbohydrate (Total) 117 or 88g (Sugars) 105 or 79g, Dietary Fibre 1.9 or 1.4g, Sodium 181 or 136mg. 0.5 or 0.375 serves of fruit.
(Adapted from: Cakes and Pastries At The Academy, 1993, California Culinary Academy)
