We had a fairly cold and wet spring weather this year that persisted all the way up to middle of June. With all those uncomfortably low temperatures I almost have forgotten about strawberry picking season. Somewhere mid July as it finally became hot and humid I wondered if they were still available at the local farm that I normally visit for picking. After two hours of selective picking I was able to collect about 5 kg (11 lb) of ripe strawberries. Unfortunately most of the crop were overripe and lost for the season. However, those few that were good were amazingly sweet and fragrant.
I kept my pick in the fridge for about a week. Smaller part we enjoyed fresh and the rest were dedicated to few delicious sweets. I made a Strawberry Cream Torte and my wife made strawberry rhubarb cobbler. Both were so beautifully tasty that there was no talk as we were enjoying them. You could only hear um’s and hum’s.
Strawberry rhubarb cobbler was refreshing and sweet with wonderful biscuit texture. It worked perfectly with vanilla ice cream. We made it continuously three days in a row. It was lot quicker and simpler to make and it quenched our thirst for strawberry-rhubarb heavenly combo.
On the other side Strawberry Cream Torte was more elaborate to prepare. This was a delicate cake, served refreshingly chilled. The texture was perfectly creamy and smooth. The sweetens of strawberries complemented with orange scent of cake layers soaked in Grand Mariner. Cake was decorated with some fresh vanilla cream and strawberries dipped in black currant jam. Delicious!
I had a pin in this cake for quite some time but I had to wait for fresh strawberry season. Store bought strawberries were not an option. They are too watery and tasteless although visually appealing and often looking immaculate.
It was a perfect, refreshing and fruity; divine summer light dessert.
The recipe for this wonderful, European, cafe style cake, has been adapted from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague“.
| Prep Time | 1 hour |
| Cook Time | 30 min |
| Passive Time | 2 hours |
| Servings |
pieces
|
- 45 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup all purpose non bleached flour sifted
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur or orange juice
- 2 1/2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1/3 cup water
- 700 g fresh strawberries hulled, divided
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups whipping cream chilled
- 130 g black currant preserves or red currant
- 1 tbsp golden Rum or water
- 8 whole fresh strawberries washed and dried, hull not removed
- 2 tsp confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream chilled
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
Orange Syrup
Filling
Black Currant Glaze
Garnish
|
|
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 177°C (350°F).
- Butter a 230 mm (9" ) springform pan, and line the bottom with round parchment paper. Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- In a small saucepan, bring the butter to boil over medium heat (5 out of 10). Cook about 1-2 minutes, until the milk solids in the butter turn light brown. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Strain the clarified butter from solids and foam through paper coffee filter to a small bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a large mixing bowl at high speed, beat the egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar. Beat the mixture until thick and pale yellow, approximately 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Separately, beat the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 of sugar until the peaks are stiff and shiny.
- Fold in about 1/4 of beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it up, fold in the remaining whites.
- Combine together flour and salt. In two additions sift the flour over the the eggs. Use large balloon whisk or rubber spatula to fold together.
- Transfer about 1 cup of batter into the bowl with clarified butter. Fold together until it is well blended. This will put the butter in suspension and allow it to be easier incorporated to the rest of the batter. Pour this back into the rest of the batter and fold in gently until fully blended.
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake about 30 minutes, conventional oven. The cake is done when the top springs back when pressed lightly or when a toothpick comes out clean.
- Transfer the baking pan to a cooling rack and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Remove the sides of the pan, invert onto the rack, remove the parchment paper. Reinvert the biscuit onto the rack, right side up. Let it cool completely.
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat bring water and sugar to a full boil, stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove from heat and add the Grand Mariner, pour into a small bowl and let cool completely.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl. Let it stand about 5 minutes until gelatin absorbs the water.
- Puree half of the strawberries in a food processor or blender. You should end up with about 1 cup of puree.
- Transfer puree to a medium size non reactive sauce pan. Stir in hydrated gelatin, sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat (5 out of 10), stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Do not let it become too hot and simmer!
- Transfer it to a large bowl and let it cool in an ice water bath. Stir often and let it stand until cool and thickened but not set. Remove from the ice water.
- Beat the whipping cream in a chilled medium size bowl until stiff peaks are formed. Stir about 1/4 of whipped cream into strawberry puree, then fold the remaining cream.
- Cut cold biscuit into 2 equal layers. Using an 20 cm ( 8") diameter plate or cake pan trim each layer into an 8" round. Grind the trimmings in the food processor to make cake crumbs. Store cake crumbs in a sealed small bowl.
- Lightly oil 22 cm (9") springform pan. Center the top biscuit layer, top crust down, in the pan. Drizzle and brush half of the syrup. Spread evenly half of the filling over the biscuit, making sure you fill around the sides of the cake, the space between the biscuit and the springform pan side wall.
- Slice the remaining strawberries (make sure you save separate 8 perfect whole strawberries for garnish) and arrange over the filling.
- Top with the second biscuit layer, drizzle and brush the remaining syrup.
- Spread over the remaining filling. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, to allow filling to fully set and chill.
- Line baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.
- Rinse strawberries and dry with paper towel.
- Add the black currant preserve and rum in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until glaze is very sticky. Strain the glaze through a wire sieve into a small bowl pressing hard on solids using the back of the spoon.
- Holding each strawberry for the hull, dip in the warm glaze, let the excess drip off, and place on the parchment paper. Cool completely and let the glaze set.
- Run a sharp knife around the springform pan and carefully remove the sides.
- Press the reserved cake crumbs onto the sides of the cake.
- In a chilled medium bowl, whip the cream with vanilla extract and confectioners sugar until stiff peaks are formed. Use pastry bag fitted with 9/16" star tip and pipe 8 large rosettes around the cake perimeter.
- Top each rosette with a glazed strawberry. Serve chilled.
No Comments