Strawberry Cake

Name: Strawberry Cake - Agata D.
Ingredients: 1 package of Savoiardi biscuits; 1 kg strawberries; 6 eggs; 1 liter of Hulala whipped cream; 6 tablespoons of flour; 14 tablespoons of sugar; 1 pinch of salt; 1 liter of milk; 1 package of 20 g gelatin and 1 package of 10 g; 6 vanilla sugars.

Dessert - Strawberry Cake by Agata D. - Recipia

On my niece's birthday, the daughter of my sister, I prepared this strawberry cake inspired by a recipe I saw at Merișor. It was appreciated for its taste, even though the decoration didn't turn out perfect. It's a cold dessert made with ladyfingers, cooked cream, whipped cream, and strawberries, which is prepared in a rectangular mold and left in the fridge until the next day. The strawberries can also be replaced with other fruits, depending on the season. Quick Info Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe Cooking time: approximately as long as it takes to boil the cream; no baking involved Chilling time: until the next day Total time: from preparation to serving, overnight Servings: number not specified; depends on the size of the mold and how it is portioned Difficulty: medium Recipe type: cold cake with strawberries and ladyfingers, suitable for birthdays Ingredients 1 package of Savoiardi ladyfingers 1 kg of strawberries 6 eggs 1 liter of Hulala whipped cream 6 tablespoons of flour 14 tablespoons of sugar, used as follows: 8 tablespoons for the strawberries 6 tablespoons for the egg yolk cream 1 pinch of salt 1 liter of milk 1 package of 20 g gelatin and 1 package of 10 g gelatin 6 measures or packets of vanilla sugar, as listed in the original recipe 200 ml of cold water for the gelatin Preparation method 1. Prepare the strawberries Wash the strawberries well, remove the stems, and place the fruits in a bowl. Sprinkle the 8 tablespoons of sugar over them and leave them in the fridge until they release their syrup. The strawberries will be used both in the cream and for soaking the ladyfingers. Do not throw away the juice formed, as it is necessary for assembling the cake. 2. Prepare the cream base Separate the eggs. Place the 6 egg yolks in a bowl and mix them with the 6 tablespoons of sugar. Add the flour and 100 ml of cold milk, then mix until you obtain a homogeneous composition. Bring the remaining milk to a boil. When it starts boiling, gradually pour in the yolk mixture, stirring continuously. Leave the cream on the heat until it thickens. Continuous stirring is important at this stage to prevent the cream base from sticking and forming lumps. Once it thickens, turn off the heat and let it cool. 3. Incorporate the egg whites and whipped cream Whip the egg whites with the vanilla sugar until stiff peaks form. When the cooked cream has cooled, fold the egg whites into it. Whip the cream using a mixer and divide it into two parts. Half of the whipped cream is mixed into the cooled cream, while the other half is reserved for decoration. Mix gently to combine, just enough to achieve a homogeneous mixture. This way, the cream remains lighter. 4. Prepare the gelatin Place the gelatin in a bowl with 200 ml of cold water and let it soak for about 10 minutes. After this time, heat the gelatin in a double boiler until it dissolves well. There is no need to invent an exact time for this step; the important thing is that it is completely dissolved. Let it cool slightly, then pour it warm over the cream. Mix well to ensure the gelatin is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. 5. Add the fruits Remove the strawberries from the fridge and drain the syrup formed. Keep the syrup separately for the ladyfingers. Add the drained fruits to the cream and gently mix with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to mix too vigorously, especially if the strawberry pieces are soft, as they may crush and overly color the cream. 6. Assemble the cake Line a rectangular dish with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap covers the interior of the dish well and can be easily removed at the end. Dip the ladyfingers one by one in the syrup left by the strawberries and place the first layer at the bottom of the dish. Do not soak them too long in the syrup, as they can become overly soft. Place a layer of cream over the ladyfingers. Continue with another layer of soaked ladyfingers and another layer of cream. Finally, place the last layer of ladyfingers. The order is: ladyfingers, cream, ladyfingers, cream, ladyfingers. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the next day. The chilling time is necessary for the gelatin to set, and for the ladyfingers and cream to form a cake that can be inverted. 7. Unmold and decorate The next day, invert the cake onto a platter. Carefully remove the plastic wrap. Decorate the cake with the reserved whipped cream and strawberries. The decoration can be simple, without needing a specific shape. In the original recipe, the appearance did not turn out perfect, but the taste was appreciated. Why I make this recipe often It’s a cake suitable when you want a cold, no-bake dessert. It can be prepared in advance, and by the next day, it has time to set well. The strawberries give it freshness, while the ladyfingers absorb the syrup and become soft without needing a separately prepared syrup. I also like that it can be adapted with available fruits. The rectangular shape makes it easy to portion, even though the appearance greatly depends on how carefully it is unmolded and decorated. Tips Let the cooked cream cool before adding the egg whites and whipped cream. If it's still hot, they may lose their texture. The gelatin must be well dissolved before being added to the cream, but it should be added warm, not hot. The strawberry syrup is used for dipping the ladyfingers. Soak them quickly, as they will soften further from the cream in the cake. For unmolding, the plastic wrap must cover the dish as well as possible. If there are uncovered areas, the cake may stick to the dish. It is important for the cake to stay in the fridge until the next day. Do not unmold it immediately after assembly. Substitutions Strawberries can be replaced with other fruits, as mentioned in the original recipe. The fruits must be able to release enough juice to soak the ladyfingers, and if they do not form syrup, another solution for the ladyfingers will be needed, which is not included in the basic recipe. The whipped cream used is Hulala, according to the original ingredients. If you use another type of whipped cream, follow the preparation method indicated on the package. Variations You can use a mix of fruits instead of a single type, keeping the same preparation idea: the fruits are sweetened, left to form syrup, and then added to the cream. The cake can be decorated with just whipped cream or with whipped cream and fruits. The decoration does not change the preparation method of the cream. Serving ideas Portion the cake cold, after it has been in the fridge until the next day. Serve directly from the platter, cut into slices. It is suitable for a birthday, for a family meal, or for a day when you want to prepare dessert a day in advance. Frequently Asked Questions How long should the cake stay in the fridge? In the original recipe, the cake is left to chill until the next day. This interval helps the gelatin to set the cream and the ladyfingers to soften enough. Can the cake be made without baking? Yes. The recipe does not involve baking. The cream is cooked on the stove, then the cake is assembled cold, with ladyfingers and cream. What do I do with the syrup left from the strawberries? The syrup is drained and used to dip the ladyfingers before placing them in the dish. The drained strawberries are added to the cream. When is the gelatin added? After it has been soaked in cold water and dissolved in a double boiler, the gelatin is allowed to cool slightly and then poured warm over the cream. Can I use other fruits? Yes, the recipe specifies that you can use your preferred fruits. However, keep in mind that the fruits are also used for the syrup in which the ladyfingers are dipped. Nutritional values The values are estimated and depend mainly on the type of whipped cream used, the amount of sugar left in the fruits, and the number of servings. If the cake is divided into 12 servings, one serving may have approximately: 550–650 kcal 8–12 g protein 25–35 g fat 65–80 g carbohydrates The values do not include potential differences between types of plant-based whipped cream and cannot be considered exact without the product labels used. The total sugar content is high, as the recipe contains sugar for the strawberries, for the cream, and vanilla sugar, in addition to the sugar in the ladyfingers and whipped cream. Storage and reheating The cake is stored in the fridge, covered, until serving. It is a cold dessert and is not reheated. Because it contains whipped cream, fruits, and milk-based cream, it is best consumed as fresh as possible and not kept at room temperature for long. If there are leftovers, keep them in the fridge and serve cold.

Strawberry Cake

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