Strawberry and Cream Cake
6 servings
70 minutes
The 'Strawberry with Cream' cake is the embodiment of refined sweetness and freshness. Its roots trace back to European pastry traditions, where strawberries and cream became symbols of delicate pleasure. The airy sponge cake combined with light whipped cream and fragrant strawberries creates an unparalleled harmony of taste. The special texture of the meringue adds a crispy note to the dessert, while soaking it in strawberry syrup enhances the juiciness of each layer. This cake is perfect for a romantic dinner or summer celebration when you crave something light, refreshing, and simultaneously exquisite. Decorating it with fresh berries and mint leaves can add even more elegance to the cake. Enjoying each bite of this dessert is like a little journey into the world of sweet dreams.
1
Prepare the sponge cake, remove it from the mold, and place it on a rack. Let it rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours (to prevent the sponge from getting soggy with syrup) and cut it into 4 layers. Prepare the meringue. Pour the egg whites into a bowl.
- Egg white: 3 pieces
2
Whip the egg whites on low speed with a mixer until light foam forms, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to maximum and whip until a light, fluffy foam forms (there should be a slight ripple on the surface of the egg white mass from the mixer blades). While continuing to whip, gradually add sugar along with vanilla sugar in a thin stream. Whip the egg whites with sugar until a thick, dense mass forms. When turning the bowl upside down, the whipped egg whites should not spill out. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a circle equal to the diameter of the biscuit. Flip the parchment so that the pencil mark is on the back side. Spread the whipped egg whites evenly within the drawn circle. Bake the meringue for about 13 minutes, until light golden, in a preheated oven at 180 degrees.
- Sugar: 100 g
- Vanilla sugar: 2 teaspoons
3
Prepare strawberry syrup. Wash the strawberries, remove the caps, cut the berries in half and place them in a small pot. Sprinkle the berries with sugar, add water, mix, bring to a boil and remove the foam. Let the syrup simmer for about 5-7 minutes and mash the berries with a potato masher. Strain the strawberry puree through a sieve. Cool the resulting syrup. Whip the cream. Pour the cream into a bowl. Start whipping at low speed until it begins to thicken. When traces from the mixer blades start to remain on the surface of the cream (the cream still doesn't hold its shape and traces immediately disappear), increase the mixer speed to medium and add sifted powdered sugar. Continue whipping until clear peaks form from the blades (at the end of whipping increase mixer speed to maximum). As soon as distinct peaks appear - stop whipping immediately. Further whipping will cause the cream to become liquid, separate and eventually turn into butter.
- Strawberry: 300 g
- Sugar: 100 g
- Water: 70 ml
- Cream 35%: 800 ml
- Powdered sugar: 8 tablespoons
4
Assembling the cake. Wash the strawberries, dry them, remove the caps, and slice the berries. Place the sponge cake on a plate and soak it with strawberry syrup. Spread part of the whipped cream evenly on the cake. Arrange the strawberry slices (you can sprinkle the strawberries with powdered sugar). Top with whipped cream and spread evenly. Place the second cake layer, soak it with syrup, and spread with cream. Place meringue on the cake. Spread meringue with cream. Cover the meringue with the third cake layer and soak it with syrup. Spread the cake with cream, place strawberries, and cover the strawberries with whipped cream again. Cover the cake with the fourth (last) layer and gently press down with your hands, slightly compressing the cake and giving it a proper shape. Cover the surface of the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
- Strawberry: 300 g
- Cream 35%: 800 ml
- Powdered sugar: 8 tablespoons
5
Decorate the surface of the cake with slices of strawberries and mint. Chill the cake before serving and let it soak.
- Strawberry: 300 g