Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Light Moist and Moreish...Enjoy!
Serves: 10
Ingredients
- 175g strawberries, hulled
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 1 lemon, grated rind only
- 225g caster sugar
- dash red paste food colouring
- Filling
- 150g strawberry jam
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 2 tsp powdered gelatine
- 400g strawberries, hulled
- 125ml double cream
- Frosting
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 1 lemon, finely grated lemon rind
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 400ml double cream
- a little red paste food colouring
- To decorate
- a few pink primula flowers and/or viola flowers
- a few small strawberries
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20 cm springform tins with non-stick baking paper. Purée the strawberries, press through a sieve and discard the seeds. Mix flour and baking powder in a second bowl.
- Put the egg yolks, oil, lemon rind and 175g of the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the strawberry purée and a little food colouring and whisk for about 5 mins until thick. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually whisk in the remaining 50g of sugar a teaspoonful at a time until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- Sift the flour and baking powder over the strawberry mix then gently fold in. Stir in a large spoonful of the egg whites then fold in the rest. Spoon the mixture evenly between the two tins and level, then bake for 20-25 mins until the top is set, very lightly browned and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool, then remove the sides. Remove the base when cold.
- Peel off the base paper, cut each cake in half, and set two of the halves aside. Stack the other two halves and cut out a circle from the centre using a smaller 15cm baking tin as a template (you don’t need these circles again, so eat them now if you wish!). Put one of the whole circles of cake on a serving plate, spread a band of jam around the outer edge then place one of the ring cakes on top. Spread the top edge of the ring cake with jam and add the second cake ring. Add the cold water to a heatproof bowl, sprinkle over the gelatine, make sure all the powder is absorbed and set aside for 5 mins.
- Pick out the best strawberries and arrange inside the cake to check they fit, then set aside on a plate for later. Purée 175g of the remaining strawberries, press through a sieve and discard the seeds. Stand the bowl of gelatine in a pan of simmering water and cook for about 5 mins, stirring from time to time until it becomes clear. Whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks, add the strawberry purée and gradually mix in the gelatine until smooth. Spread a few spoonfuls on the base of the centre of the cake, arrange strawberries on top and cover with the remaining cream. Stick the other cake half in place with jam around the edges. Chill for 4 hours. An hour before serving, whisk the mascarpone, lemon rind and icing sugar together then gradually whisk in the cream until soft and spreadable. Take out one third of the frosting, divide between two bowls, colour one pale pink, the other a deeper pink.
- Spread a very thin layer of the un-coloured frosting all over the cake to keep any crumbs in place, then spread a thicker layer all over. Smooth with a knife. Press small dots of dark pink frosting around the base. Make a second paler pink band above it and a third band of un-coloured frosting. Smooth, then decorate with edible flowers and small strawberries.
