earl grey chestnut basque chesecake

Usually I think of pairing earl grey with bright fruity flavours (citrus! raspberry! rhubarb!), but in this basque-style cheesecake, I went the complete opposite with chestnut. It’s a combo that came to me on a whim, but I really enjoyed it!

The first time I made this cake, I felt doubtful that the earl grey would come through. But it does, thanks to a lot of earl grey and a long infusion of the cream. With about half of the cream cheese subbed for chestnut puree, the chestnut does not get lost either. Using homemade chestnut puree does result in a less creamy consistency – the cheesecake will be soft, but firm, and not the soft silkiness of just cream cheese; but for me, I think it’s an adequate tradeoff for all the chestnut flavour!

For this cheesecake, I’ve lined the bottom and sides of a cake tin separately with parchment paper as it gives smoother and darker – but also sort of overbaked – edges compared to the usual parchment paper crumple, but either works. I do love the informality of the crumpled parchment, and it helps insulate the edges from overbaking!

I also use a different baking protocol than most recipes, which I’ve found necessary to get a nice darkened top and soft centre for a smaller and lower sugar basque cheesecake. I’ve found the cake should bake for about 30 minutes total (at least in my oven) for a soft centre, but with the last few minutes spent under the broiler. I also make sure to bake the cake on the middle rack, not lower third (standard for most baked goods) for more top browning. But of course as ovens vary, pay attention to how your cake is looking and adjust the process as needed.

Every time I’ve baked this cheesecake I’ve gotten cracks on top – I think it may be because pureeing the chestnuts introduces quite a bit of air that’s hard to get rid of (you may be able to avoid this by substituting about 250g commercial chestnut puree?). However, I don’t mind – this is already a pretty rustic cheesecake, and the cracks may be just more character?! Just be warned that they’ll likely appear!

earl grey chestnut basque cheesecake

• Servings: one 7-inch cake
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A cheesecake with a surprising amount of chestnut and earl grey flavour. A note on the texture: because this cake is half chestnut puree, it’s soft, but firm, and not silky, with a more classic baked cheesecake texture.

equipment: one 7 to 7 1/2″ round cake tin at least 2″ tall

infused cream

• 300g heavy cream
• 12g loose leaf earl grey tea

chestnut puree

• 200g cooked peeled chestnuts (most convenient is to use the ones that come in foil packets)

cheesecake

• 300g block cream cheese
• 10g cornstarch
• 150g sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs

To infuse the cream, combine the cream and tea in a container and place it in the fridge overnight or for up to 48h for a cold infusion. Pass through a sieve and press to extract as much cream as possible from the leaves. Measure the resultant cream and top up with additional cream to 250g.

For the chestnut puree, place the chestnuts in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, cover and let simmer away for 15 minutes or until chestnuts are soft when pierced with a fork. Scoop out into the bowl of a food processor along with about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Puree, scraping down the sides as needed, until a smooth paste is formed, adding more water if necessary.

For the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 480F with a rack set in the middle of the oven (while the usual standard for baking is lower third, in this case the middle rack will help the cheesecake brown much better). There are a couple ways to prepare the cake tin. The classic method is to line bottom and sides with a single square of parchment paper (embrace the crinkles!) just by pushing it into the tin. Or what I’ve done for this cheesecake for a rounder appearance (though the edges do get overbaked…): butter a 7 1/2″ to 7″ round cake tin (at least 2″ tall). Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and the sides with a collar of parchment paper. Optionally, to help you pull out the cheesecake you can put two strips of parchment paper at right angles under the round of paper so that the ends stick out (a technique from here), but this is a pretty hardy cheesecake which is fine to invert out of the pan.

In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese until smooth to get rid of any lumps. Then add the chestnut puree, and mix until smooth. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add the cornstarch mixture to the cream cheese and combine. Beat the eggs in another small bowl until smooth, and add, a bit at a time, to the cream cheese mixture. Place the 250g infused cream in a microwave safe measuring cup or dish and heat until it begins to bubble. Stir into the batter (the hot cream helps any bubbles come out).

At this point you can pass the batter through a strainer to remove any chestnut bits (optional – it does make the cheesecake slightly smoother). Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and rap on the counter to pop large bubbles.

Bake the cheesecake for about 30 minutes total, or until it is set around the edges but wobbly in the middle when shaken. Check the cheesecake at the 26 minutes point to how the top is browning. If it is not getting quite dark, turn on the broiler. In my oven, this cake needs about 3-4 minutes under the broiler while on the middle rack to achieve a nice darkened surface. Watch the cake and rotate occasionally to get even browning. Once it is browned, take it out.

On the other hand, if the cake has blackened before the 30 minute point, turn off the broiler (return to fan or normal bake at 480F) and place some foil overtop of the cake. Once the full bake time has been reached and the cake is set on the edge, but nice and jiggly in the middle, remove from the oven.

I prefer to let the cake cool and then chill in the fridge completely before removing from the pan and slicing.

drømmekage carrot loaf

While neatly packaged in an unassuming loaf cake form, I consider this a carrot cake deluxe. It has a drømmekage-inspired topping of caramelized coconut, while a cream cheese filling runs through the middle. It’s sort of two icings, one crispy/chewy and the other creamy, in one cake for the best of both in a handy slice you can eat by hand.

Drømmekage is a Danish sponge cake topped with a coconut, butter and sugar mixture that gets broiled until caramelized. It’s a coconut cousin of toscakake/toscakaka, a sponge cake topped with a caramelized almond topping (speaking of, there are two toscakake variants on the blog – a festive cranberry gingerbread number and an apple-packed gateau invisible). Here I’ve borrowed the coconut topping for carrot cake, a departure from the usual drømmekage, but a pairing that works very well.

The filling is a super simple, lightly sweetened cream cheese loosened with a bit of heavy cream to keep it a bit softer and creamier, and reminiscent of a cream cheese icing. I’ve kept the carrot cake itself mildly sweetened to balance the sweetness of the topping, plus it’s made with whole wheat flour for better flavour!

While I’ve enjoyed dolloping drømmekage and toscakake toppings on different sorts of cakes, I’ve found it doesn’t work equally well on everything. The first thing to consider is how level the top of the cake is; if the cake is very domed, the filling can slip from the top of the cake and collect around the edges during baking, and furthermore, is more prone to uneven browning. This carrot cake has minimal doming so the filling can spread in a flat layer overtop of the cake. It’s normal for many cakes to dome as the edges of the cake firm up before the middle, restricting their rise. Obtaining a level cake surface in this case is aided by two things: first, the cream cheese filling results in less height of batter (and thus less rise) in the centre of cake compared to the edges. Secondly, I give the differential batter height a bit of a helping hand by spreading the batter higher on the sides of the cake than the middle.

However, even when you have a flat-topped cake, sometimes the topping has more difficulty staying adhered to baked cake, a problem I’ve had off and on with this carrot cake version. I found that sprinkling the top of the cake with a bit of shredded coconut helps create a more grippy? surface for the caramelized topping.

With the flat top crust, this cake looks best baked in a straight-sided pan, such as the pullman loaf tin I’ve used here, as opposed to a flared loaf tin. I’ve tested this cake in a typical loaf tin as well though: use a 2/3 recipe of the cake and filling, but keep the amount of topping the same (more details are in the recipe notes). This smaller cake bakes up fluffier as the cake isn’t quite as large and weighted down!

• Servings: 1 loaf
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Carrot cake base adapted from Cooks Illustrated carrot cake, drømmekage topping adapted from The Milk Street Cookbook edited by Christopher Kimball. This is a very mildly sweet carrot cake and filling to balance the sweet drommekage topping.

Note: to make this cake in a more standard loaf tin – use a 2/3 recipe of the filling and cake (it’s all multiples of 3 so the math is easy, I promise!), but keep a full recipe of the topping. Bake the cake for closer to 45 minutes.

special equipment: a 9x4x4″ pullman tin. see note above if using a more standard loaf tin

cream cheese filling

• 150g block cream cheese
• 22g granulated sugar
• pinch salt
• squeeze lemon juice
• 15g whipping cream

carrot cake

• 240g whole wheat flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 375g carrots, peeled and finely shredded – use the finer panel on your grater as more thinly grated carrots give the cake a finer texture
• 150g brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 150g oil
• 75g greek yoghurt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• small handful unsweetened shredded coconut

drømmekage topping

• 45g milk
• 75g brown sugar
• 40g butter
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 60g unsweetened shredded coconut

Begin by mixing together the filling. Cream together all ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a ~1.5cm diameter opening. Set aside.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a loaf tin and line with a parchment paper sling.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and set aside. Whisk the sugar, eggs, oil, yoghurt and vanilla extract together in large bowl. Add the flour and shredded carrots and mix until combined.

Dollop about half the batter into the loaf tin and spread into an even layer. Pipe the cream cheese filling over the batter, leaving a ~1.5cm border without filling to make sure it is encased within the cake. Scrape the remaining batter overtop and spread into an even layer. To help ensure the cake has a relatively flat surface, use a small offset spatula to spread the batter a little bit higher along the edges of the cake pan (the edges set first and don’t get the chance to rise as much as the centre, so this step offsets the resultant doming a bit). Sprinkle with a small handful of shredded coconut.

Bake for about 60-70 minutes or until browned and springy. An inserted skewer should come out clean and free of batter, though there may be some cream cheese on it.

Now prepare the topping. Place the milk, brown sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded coconut. Spoon the mixture over the baked cake and spread into an even layer.

Place the cake back in the oven and turn the broiler on. Broil the topping for 2-5 minutes, rotating every minute or so, until the topping is browned and caramelized. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before sliding a knife around the edges to loosen them and lifting out the cake via the paper sling.

Let the cake cool completely before slicing. I love this cake the same day when the topping has a crisp caramelized crust overlying the chewy coconut! To make it easier to slice through the brittle top crust, use a serrated knife and saw back and forth.

strawberry, rhubarb & sumac crumb victoria sponge cake (& 9 nine years of tentimestea)

Hello again! Another post! And before the summer ends. Truly! It is still August by my calendar.

I usually do a rhubarb cake of some variety to commemorate another year of blogging – i.e. the convenient portmanteau that is the blogiversary. However, just as I am devoid of any novel commemorative thoughts on blogging, I wasn’t really feeling inspired for any sort of rhubarb cake this year. Not until my sister made a lovely rhubarb sumac crumb cake from Yossy Arefi’s Snacking Cakes, a vanilla cake base topped with rhubarb and a surprisingly fruity sumac-spotted crumble.

Inspired by that, I made this Victoria sponge. It’s a simpler cake, which may be a bit underwhelming for a !!-blogiversary-!! cake, though also rather appropriate… I think it’s a bit more emblematic of the type of baking I’ve been doing this past while, which has been simpler, quicker, and less fuss!

Taking inspiration from the sumac crumb cake, I’ve used ground sumac in both a crumb top and in the strawberry rhubarb jam layered into this cake. I think it goes so nicely in both – a bit lemon, a bit berry, and a very nice speckle.

While I’m still calling this a Victoria sponge, it departs from the classic in a few ways… most glaringly, the crumb top!? If it doesn’t offend the senses too much, I hope you consider it! I ended up enjoying the extra texture, flavour and rustic topography. I did try a dusting of icing sugar over the crumb, but it looked better without, and no extra sweetness is needed anyways.

For simplicity, the cake is baked as a single layer with the crumb on top and then sliced in half to form the two layers, which is handy if you only have one cake tin. As well, though this really varies by recipe, I’ve made the cake layers a bit thinner than usual for a Victoria sponge. For one, this makes the cake a bit easier to slice, and secondly, (in my opinion) also means better ratio of cream to cake. I use enough cream that the cross section is roughly 1 cake:1 cream:1 cake.

While you can certainly go the buttercream route for a Victoria sponge, I always prefer the whipped cream. Cream does necessitate that leftover cake be stored in the fridge, which poses a bit of a conundrum: a filling that is best stored cold sandwiched between two layers of butter cake which are best eaten at room temperature. I’ve used 30% ground almonds in place of flour in this cake, in part because I always love nut cakes, but also because it gives the cake an extra tenderness which helps keep it more palatable if you need to eat the leftovers cold from the fridge.

strawberry, rhubarb & sumac crumb victoria sponge cake

• Servings: one 7-inch or 18cm round cake
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Sumac crumb based on Yossy Arefi’s rhubarb crumb cake with sumac crumble from Snacking Cakes. Cake itself is adapted from a standard victoria sponge formula.

Note on the “jam” – this is made to be stored in the fridge and used soon and doesn’t have the sugar content or sterilization for long term storage like proper jam. Anyways, I really like to make this jam (really more of a very thick compote) for various baking projects – you can double the recipe and only stir sumac into half of it so you have another batch for eating/other bakes.

equipment: 18cm/7″ round springform tin

strawberry rhubarb sumac jam

• 140g chopped rhubarb
• 70g chopped strawberries
• 25g granulated sugar
• squeeze lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp ground sumac

sumac crumb

• 42g butter
• 15g brown sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground sumac
• 47g whole wheat flour
• 20g rolled oats

cake

• 100g butter, softened
• 65g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 70g cake or all-purpose flour
• 30g almond flour/finely ground almonds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1-2 tbsp milk

to fill

• 200g whipping cream
• 1 tsp granulated sugar, or to taste

For the jam, toss the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar together in a small saucepan.Warm the mixture over gentle heat until juices are released from the fruit. Then bring the mixture up a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the fruit breaks apart and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, vanilla bean paste and sumac. Transfer to a container, let chill, then store in the fridge.

For the sumac crumb, cream the butter, sugar, salt and sumac together. Add the flour, then the oats. Set aside.

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 7-inch (18cm) springform tin and line the base with a circle of parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until light. Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is as smooth as it gets, switching to a whisk as it becomes looser.

Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add 1 tbsp of milk, and a second if needed, to bring the batter to dropping consistency where it falls from the spoon.

Spread the batter into the prepared tin. Scatter clumps of crumble over top. Bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes or until an inserted skewer is removed clean or with only a few crumbs clinging. Let cool on a wire rack.

To assemble, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake in half. Due to the height of the crumbs, cut a bit below the mid line to make sure the top half still has enough cake – I find the crumb tends to pile up in the middle of the cake, so the cake will be a bit thinner there.

Whip the cream with 1 tsp sugar until it holds its shape. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (the one I used is 1.8cm in diameter). Spread the bottom half of the cake with the jam. Pipe mounds of cream around the edges, then fill in the middle with the rest of the cream, spreading to fill in any gaps if needed. Place the other half of the cake on top.

How do you cut this cake without the cream squishing out? Use a serrated knife and saw gently through the top layer of cake – don’t apply too much downwards pressure and just let the knife work through the cake for you. Chilling the cake will give the cream some time to firm which will help with clean cuts, but if you don’t mind a bit of mess, I think a Victoria sponge is best enjoyed not long after it is assembled while the cake is at room temperature and the cream is cold.

yomogi daifuku roll cake

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a couple years. Then this spring I was reading about yomogi (mugwort) and was thinking it was a rather fitting cake for spring. Somehow it’s already summer, but finally here we. And still in July too, depending on the timezone!

This cake takes inspiration from yomogi daifuku, combining a yomogi/mugwort powder cake, red bean paste filling and kinako cream plus a generous dusting of kinako on top. (There are similar applications of mugwort in both Chinese and Korean sweets as well!) It’s a wonderful set of flavours between the toasty kinako, sweet red bean paste, herbally mugwort – plus I love the soft muted colour palette of sage green, plum and oatmeal tones.

• Servings: about 6 from a small 8-inch long roll cake
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Sponge cake recipe adapted from Rice ‘n Flour. Yomogi daifuku ingredient reference from 350 Degree Oven blog.

equipment: quarter sheet baking tray

roll cake

• 3 tsp mugwort powder
• 4 tsp boiling water
• 3 eggs, split
• 45g sugar
• 30g milk
• 30g oil
• 22g cornstarch
• 23g all-purpose flour
• pinch salt
• pinch cream of tartar

filling

• 160g heavy cream
• 4g kinako
• sweetened red bean paste (I like the coarser texture of tsubuan in this, but you can use either that or koshian)

garnish

• 80g heavy cream
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• kinako

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper (I recommend the method in the original source recipe video for ease and nice sharp edges on the cake).

To smoothen out the mugwort powder, whisk it together with the boiling water in a small bowl until as smooth as you can get it (it won’t be very smooth). In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with the oil and milk, then add in the mugwort slurry. Sift the flour and cornstarch over top, add the salt, and whisk in until completely combined.

In a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy, then sprinkle in the sugar and whip until firm peaks are formed. Fold one dollop of the egg whites into the batter completely before adding the remainder and folding in lightly. Scrape into the prepared pan, level with an offset spatula and tap to release any large air bubbles.

Bake around 15 minutes or until lightly browned, springy, and an inserted wooden skewer/toothpick is removed clean.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Once completely cooled, prepare the filling by whipping the 160g of cream (sweeten to taste if desired). Right at the end, sift the kinako overtop and whisk in.

To assemble, place the cake right side up (i.e. with the bottom of the cake facing down to become the outside of the roll) and spread with kinako whipped cream, leaving one short edge free of cream. Pipe or shape a log of red bean paste along the opposite short end of the cake (the log about 1.5cm in diameter). Starting from this end, use the parchment paper to help you roll up the cake into round log. Roll tightly, but not so tightly such that the filling is squeezed out. Wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes to allow the cream to firm up before slicing and serving.

Before serving, cut a very thin slice off of each end so the ends look tidy. For optional garnish, whip up the 80g of cream and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1cm diameter round tip. Pipe a squiggle of cream over the cake (you probably won’t need all the cream, but it will give you a bit extra to work with just in case). Dust generously with kinako.

matcha lime pistachio cake

I love this combination of flavours, though rather than emerging from any rational thought, this came from pairing colours! I thought of three green things and stuck them together. And it seemed to have worked! I’m sure this doesn’t always happen… but… what else can we pair? saffron/orange/golden beet? grapefruit/strawberry/hibiscus?

This cake reads lime first and foremost on a background of matcha-pistachio, which I found such a pleasant earthy combination. I actually enjoyed pistachio matcha combo so much that it also made an appearance in the holiday cookie box… In this recipe, the addition of lime keeps a hefty slice of cake from being too rich.

What else do I adore? Nut cakes!! Cakes can turn out dry and tough quite easily, but neither are an issue with nut cakes. This one in particular has been one of my favourites, with a super plush crumb. It’s adapted from a lemon/almond/poppyseed cake, and my modifications have been mostly superficial in terms of the flavours.

The lime icing is what really pushes the lime to the forefront. It’s certainly optional, but I like how it gives the cake a finished look, and between the acid and smattering of matcha and salted pistachios, it doesn’t render the cake overly sweet.

• Servings: 1 loaf
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Adapted from Ruth Tam’s lemon almond poppyseed loaf.

special equipment: a 9x4x4″ pullman loaf tin (if using a standard loaf tin, it will likely be too much batter so only fill the tin 3/4 full)

• 125g all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt (use only 1/2 tsp if your pistachios were salted)
• 175g granulated sugar
• finely grated zest of 3 limes
• 125g finely ground pistachios (though I’ve usually cut this with about 25-30% ground almonds because pistachios are so expensive)
• 100g icing sugar
• 1 egg white
• 250g butter, softened
• 10g (about 2 tbsp) matcha whisked with about 2 1/2 tbsp boiling water to make a smooth paste
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature

to glaze

• juice of 1 1/2 limes, divided
• 80g icing sugar
• chopped pistachios and matcha, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x4x4″ pullman tin and line with a parchment paper sling. If using a standard loaf tin it will probably be too much batter – the original recipe recommends just filling up to about 3/4″ below the rim of the tin and baking any leftover batter as cupcakes.

Begin by stirring together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Take a couple tbsp of the sugar and rub with the lime zest until fragrant, add back to the remaining sugar. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment), stir together the finely ground pistachios, icing sugar and the one egg white to form a paste. Work in the granulated sugar in a few additions. Now add the butter, a couple lumps at a time, creaming each addition until fully incorporated. Add the matcha and mix until combined. Beat until fluffy (if using a stand mixer, about five minutes on medium speed, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater occasionally).

Next, crack the eggs into a measuring cup and whisk a bit to break up the whites. Add a bit at a time to the butter mixture, beating in each addition completely before the next. If using a stand mixer, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater between additions. Finally add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake about 1 hour or until an inserted is removed clean or with only a few crumbs attached.

Use the juice of one lime on the freshly baked cake: Prick the top of the cake with a skewer and brush with about 1/4 – 1/3 of the lime juice. Let rest five minutes, then tip the cake out onto a cooling rack and prick the bottom – now the top -with a skewer. Brush the (former bottom, now) top and sides with the remaining lime juice. Allow the cake to cool completely.

To make the icing, stir together the icing sugar and approximately the juice of 1/2 a lime (add a bit at a time) to make an opaque but drizzly icing. If it isn’t enough lime juice and the icing is too thick, thin with a bit of water – again being careful to add just a bit at a time. Pour overtop of the cake and use a small offset spatula to spread evenly and allow some to drip down the sides. Scatter with some chopped pistachios and a light dusting of matcha if desired.

cranberry gingerbread tosca cake

To kick off some holiday baking, this cake is everything holiday: an almondy gingerbread cake spotted with fresh cranberries and topped with a crackly crust of caramelized almonds. It has an impressive height and a sturdy consistency, while still sporting a tender and super moist crumb. If you like contrasts in texture, this cake has it between the soft cake and crispy topping.

I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while – I’ve made this cake quite a few times over the past four or five years, tweaking a couple things here and there, but for the most part I’ve kept it just as you’re seeing here. And now it’s finally on the blog!

The almond topping is borrowed from Norwegian toscakake, which usually pairs a sponge cake base with the sugared almond top (here’s another toscakake adaptation on the blog). Edd Kimber has a take on toscakake with a hefty almond cake base instead for double the almond. I’ve adapted his cake recipe to be a bit sturdier with an adjusted flour/almond ratio and plenty of holiday flavours. The cake itself is only mildly sweet so the caramelized almond topping doesn’t overwhelm with sweetness.

Finally, a couple tricky toscakake things. Firstly, the cake tends to dome a bit while it bakes – it’s okay if the top isn’t perfectly flat, but a flatter surface helps the topping distribute evenly. I spread the batter in the pan so the edges are taller than the centre to help it rise more evenly. Secondly, while broiling the topping to caramelize it, be sure to keep an eye out for any burning spots and rotate the cake every few minutes. I find I tend to to get more consistent browning by using brown sugar in the topping, though white sugar is more traditional.

cranberry gingerbread toscakake

• Servings: one 7-inch cake
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Makes 1 hefty 7″ cake. Almond cake base adapted from Edd Kimber. Almond topping from Beatrice Ojakangas’s The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.

equipment: 7″ (18cm) springform tin

cake

• 90g whole wheat flour
• 100g finely ground almonds/almond flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 168 butter at room temperature
• 50g brown sugar
• 25g granulated sugar
• 30g molasses
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 100g (1 cup) fresh cranberries

topping

• 38g butter
• 35g (generous 1/4 cup) flaked/sliced almonds
• 50g brown sugar* see note
• pinch salt
• 60g heavy cream

Butter and line the bottom and sides of a 7″ springform pan with parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350F.

To make the cake, whisk the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars and molasses with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until fluffy and lightened in colour.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Lastly, mix in the cranberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the batter so that the edges are higher than the middle – as edges cook sooner and don’t have a chance to rise as high, this compensation will help ensure that cake has a flatter top.

Bake the cake for around 50 minutes or until an inserted skewer is removed clean; tent the top with foil if it starts to become overly browned.

Once the cake is baked, immediately start on the topping. Heat the butter, sugar, salt and cream in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the topping to thicken a bit. Stir in the almonds and pour overtop of the cake, spreading out the almonds evenly.

Set the oven to the broiler and put the cake on the middle rack. Broil until the topping is bubbly and browned – about 5 minutes, but watch it carefully! You may want to rotate the cake every couple of minutes to help it brown evenly. Try your best not to step too far from the oven during this, as sugar can burn quickly.

Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Note: I found that using brown sugar in the topping helps the topping brown easier and ensures you don’t end up with a smattering of pale and burnt patches (a risk when using the broiler method). That being said, white sugar is traditional and the flavour is a bit different as well! Feel free to substitute white sugar, just take extra care to rotate the cake occasionally during the broiling step.

hibiscus-glazed lemon poppyseed cakes

These cakes came about as a vehicle for the dried poppy pods we saved from the garden a couple years ago. The combination isn’t too exciting, but it definitely is visually striking – inspired by a cake I saw on Brown Bear Bakery’s instagram, hibiscus has the tartness of lemon and enough flavour to keep the glaze from just being a sugar crust. And of course, with a long enough infusion, it also has some zany colour! The cake base is a wonderfully fluffy pound cake and would be good as is without icing depending on your preferences.

If you’re using your own poppy seeds, wait for the pods to dry and the top will open. They’ll take on a bit of a rattle and a shake will be enough to scatter poppy seeds everywhere. A quick and tidy way to collect the seeds is to put all the pods in a plastic bag, close it and shake – the seeds will fall out and settle in the bottom of the bag.

• Servings: 6 mini bundts
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Makes six mini bundts. Adapted from this lemon poundcake recipe from bon appetit. If you’d prefer to make this in a loaf tin format, multiply the recipe by 1.5x (but leave the amount of glaze the same) and adjust the baking time to about 40-45 minutes.

equipment: mini bundt tin

cake

• 90g granulated sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 150g butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 145g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 60g whole milk, at room temperature

glaze

• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 heaping tbsp dried hibiscus
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup icing sugar
• poppy seeds for garnish

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a six-well mini bundt tin – brushing the tin with melted butter will help make sure you grease all the crevices.

In the bowl of a standmixer, place the sugar and lemon zest. Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant. Add the butter and cream with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.

In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Add half the flour mixture to the butter and stir until just combined. I find it easiest to switch to a wooden spoon at this point, but you can continue to use the paddle attachment. Beat in the milk, then stir in the remaining half of the flour.

Transfer the batter to a piping big cut with a large opening and evenly distribute the batter amongst the wells of the bundt tin. Alternatively, spoon the batter into each well.

Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until browned along the edges and an inserted skewer is removed clean. Let the cakes sit in the tin for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.

For the first step of glazing, squeeze the juice of one lemon into a dish and strain out the pulp and seeds. Use a pastry brush to dab the lemon juice on the warm bundt cakes. Allow the cakes to finish cooling completely.

For the hibiscus glaze, pour the boiling water over the hibiscus and set aside to steep until cooled. Put the icing sugar in a small bowl and add the hibiscus tea, a spoonful at a time, until a thick but drizzle-able icing is formed. Pour a bit of the icing over each cooled bundt cake.

genmaicha coconut milk cake

Usually a benefit, but occasionally an occupational hazard, matcha’s eye-catching shade of green means that it will become instantly the most recognizable flavour, regardless of what else is in a dessert. I observed this the first time I made this genmaicha-infused cake, when I added some matcha to the cake soaking liquid for what I thought was just some fun inconsequential green colour to hint at the tea in the genmaicha.

“Is it a matcha cake?” my friend asked while inspecting a slice of cake. “Sort of,” I explained that most of the flavour comes from genmaicha, with just a bit of matcha in there for colour.

He took a bite. “Great matcha flavour.” he replied.

Anyways… in a subsequent cake attempt I refrained from adding any matcha to the soak to avoid the intense suggestive power of matcha, instead leaving it the rather nice straw colour from the genmaicha. I did sprinkle of bit of matcha over top though, because, well, it’s such a pretty colour…

This cake is a riff off of a tres leches cake, though with some coconut milk in the mix and the soaking liquid infused with plenty of genmaicha. I made this during the summer so I added some sliced white peaches on top – the milkiness of the cake and thick layer of cream lends itself well to fruit! and maybe I was thinking a bit of white peach oolong tea – but it is very much optional and can be substituted for whatever fruit you have on hand, or none at all.

• Servings: about 9
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Sponge cake recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

equipment: 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan

milk mixture

• 330g whole milk
• 14g genmaicha
• 300g coconut milk
• 90g condensed milk, or more to taste for sweetness

sponge cake

• 4 large eggs
• 50g granulated sugar
• 85g flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt

to serve

• 200g heavy cream, whipped
• optional: 1-2 white peaches, cut into wedges (or other fruit!)

milk

Combine the milk and genmaicha in a container. Place the fridge overnight or up to 24h for a cold infusion. The next day strain the milk to remove the tea – you should end up with about 275g of infused milk. Whisk in the coconut milk and condensed milk and set aside.

sponge cake

Preheat the oven to 350F. Very lightly butter an 8″ square pan – I buttered it, then wiped over the pan with a tissue to leave only a trace of butter.  Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Place the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until frothy, sprinkle in the sugar, and then continue whipping until very light and fluffy. They are done when you can draw a figure-eight with a ribbon of batter flowing from the whisk, and it stays on the surface of the batter for at least 10 seconds.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift a third of the flour over the egg whites and fold in until no streaks or lumps of flour remain. Repeat twice more until all the flour is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out with a small offset spatula. Bake the cake for around 20 minutes or until browned and an inserted skewer is removed clean. Let cool. Poke the cake all over every two centimetres with a skewer right down to the bottom of the pan.

Slowly pour over the cake, being sure to get the sides and middle, adding more milk as it is absorbed. Cover and refrigerate until chilled completely.

to serve

When ready to serve, whip the cream and spread overtop of the cake in a smooth layer. Dust with matcha and top with peach slices or other fruit you have on hand. To cut, use a sharp serrated knife and gentle sawing motion to cut through the peaches.

strawberry rhubarb baked alaska (& 8 years of tentimestea)

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Wait! Before summer is over! I’m a bit late, I know, but I still need to say something –

Well, actually… eight years of tentimestea… and it feels like I have less to say than ever!

But we’ll try. Around this time last year I was pondering what has stayed the same, but I suppose this year I found myself thinking more of what has changed.

Here’s one thing: my blog dwells happily in the comfortable depths of obscurity. But this year during rhubarb season, 99% of my traffic starting coming through pinterest for a single recipe. To be clear, minuscule traffic and hardly anything relative to what a popular blog would receive, but it was still a bit nerve-wracking! It was a recipe I was happy with and had tested a couple times. People on the internet that made it and told me about it were happy. Still, it did remind me that any recipe has the (slim) potential to be seen and made by others, and that there is a some responsibility that comes with that. I haven’t been trying to share nonsense recipes of course – but I will certainly never be doing that now.

Admittedly, up until the last couple of years, there were some old questionable recipes lying around. When I first started tentimestea – as a still-somewhat-teenager! that excuses everything, right? – it was to keep track of what I baked. That included disasters, which at the time were quite relishing to post given how terrible descriptions are much more exciting to write than good ones. I transitioned to sharing more proper recipes years ago, but there were still legacy recipes lying around. The posts remain, but the super old recipes I felt unsure about have been redacted to avoid anyone innocently coming across a recipe for disaster fully recorded in all its gory detail. (Well, you can still read the gory details, you just can’t replicate it!)

But all this talk of traffic and responsibility aside – first and foremost, the blog is still about having fun with baking – because that’s what has kept me around for eight years.

onto the recipe: baked alaska!

As is sort of-semi-tradition-esque-ish, I make an annual (out of season) rhubarb cake. This year it’s baked alaska, a suitably retro recipe for an aging blog like mine. I made mine with a strawberry rhubarb sorbet layered over a vanilla elderflower semifreddo, all seated on an almond cake base, covered in meringue and some roasted fruit.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this cake! It’s fruit and cream (and yes, some rather sweet meringue) all stacked together in a refreshing slice. The amount of work makes for a decent project: multiple components, but none too tricky, and a relatively fuss-free assembly. You could also use this recipe as a template for whatever adaptations you want to make – another fruit sorbet, infuse some different flavours into the semifreddo, and so forth.

components:

• strawberry rhubarb sorbet: This is probably my favourite component of the cake – I would definitely eat it on its own! Made from strained rhubarb juice and strawberry puree, it’s the refreshing fruity counterpoint in this dessert. Sorbet usually needs a certain amount of sugar for texture, but it’s not overly sweet given the tartness from the rhubarb. I also helped keep it soft and sliceable a little splash of elderflower liqueur (more on that below).
• vanilla elderflower semifreddo: I knew I wanted to have a bit of alcohol in the cake if only to keep it a bit softer and sliceable. Even better if it’s part of the flavour profile! I used a slightly lemony elderflower liqueur, St. Germain, to go along with the fruit and vanilla. You can certainly use whatever alcohol you prefer (or leave it out entirely for an alcohol free version – it will just be a bit harder and may need to sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften before slicing). Semifreddo is a foamy parfait made of whipped eggs and cream, making it a lot airier than ice cream and also a bit more manageable to eat when it comes to a generous slice. I also like using semifreddo as a component in layered frozen desserts as it doesn’t need to be churned; it can save a bit of time if you use a freezer canister which needs to be washed and refrozen for each churn.
• almond financier base: I found that the texture of frozen financier is quite good – chewy and toothsome, but certainly still soft enough to bite – from this ice cream. Here it was recruited as the base for the cake.

• meringue: I usually don’t care much for meringue, but I discovered it’s surprisingly suitable for frozen desserts! Not only do you get to dramatically toast it for contrast with the cold filling, but meringue doesn’t harden when frozen (unlike, say, whipped cream) and also helps to insulate the cake to prevent it from melting too quickly on the counter. While I used raw egg whites, there are alternatives for food safety to reduce salmonella risk. I’d suggest trying something like an Italian meringue, in which boiling sugar is whipped in beaten egg whites, or Swiss meringue, in which the eggs and sugar are heated together before whipping. These methods can be a bit trickier though, so depending on what you’re comfortable with, simply whipping egg whites and sugar together is easiest.
• roasted strawberries and rhubarb: I sort of modeled the look of my baked alaska after a pavlova, and so to finish it off, a garnish of roasted strawberries and rhubarb.

a note on sizing…

I’ve described the bowl I used to make this in the recipe below (i.e. 900mL volume and 19cm top diameter) but this recipe can be amenable to whatever bowl you have on hand. If your bowl is bigger, the baked Alaska may just not fill the bowl the whole way. If your bowl is smaller, just layer in part of the sorbet and then part of the semifreddo. Put the remainders in separate containers and freeze to eat later. As necessary, trim the cake base so that it is the right size. Or, you can also multiply the recipe as needed if you want a larger baked Alaska.

To get an idea of how it might turn out, you can check the volume of the bowl you plan to use and compare it to what I used. The easiest way is to fill it with water and weigh how much it can contain (1g = 1mL). In this recipe I used a 900mL bowl with a top diameter approximately 19cm (7 1/2″). It may not sound that big, but it makes for quite the cake once it is covered in meringue. It can definitely serve eight or more very generously.

strawberry rhubarb baked alaska

• Servings: probably about 8
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Financier adapted from Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxel’s Bouchon Bakery, sorbet free-handed, semifreddo adapted from Stella Parks’s recipe, meringue adapted from classic ratios.

equipment: I made this in a bowl about 900mL in volume and with a top diameter of about 19cm/7 1/2″. But you can definitely use whatever size you happen to have on hand – please see the note on sizing in the blog post above. I also used a 8″ diameter cake tin to bake the cake base.

1. bake the financier base

• 75g butter
• 45g finely ground almonds
• 30g all-purpose flour
• generous 1/8 tsp salt
• 60g granulated sugar
• 75g egg whites
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 425F. Butter a 20cm/8″ diameter cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Place the butter in a small pan and heat until melted. Cook, stirring, until the butter solids brown and the butter is fragrant. Immediately transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool while you make the rest of the batter.

Stir together the almond flour, flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix until a thick batter is formed. Whisk in the browned butter. Spread the batter into the prepared pan in an even layer.

Place in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350F. Bake about 10 minutes or until springy to touch or an inserted skewer is removed clean.

2. make the strawberry rhubarb sorbet as the first layer of the baked alaska

• 350g chopped rhubarb
• 150g fresh strawberry puree
• 45g simple syrup (1:1 water and sugar)
• 1 tbsp St. Germain (or other elderflower liqueur to taste; elderflower cordial could be an alcohol-free alternative)

Place the chopped rhubarb in a small saucepan along with a spoonful of sugar and a splash of water (enough for 1-2cm on the bottom). Together, the sugar and water should help draw the juice out of the rhubarb. Cook over medium allowing the rhubarb to release enough juice to mostly cover the rhubarb pieces. Let simmer until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through. (If it’s looking a bit dry it helps to put the cover on while cooking to generate more liquid. The resulting rhubarb juice will be less concentrated, so it will just need to be boiled down more in the following step.)

Transfer the cooked rhubarb to a jelly bag set in a sieve over a bowl and allow the rhubarb juice to drain in the bowl. Once cooled, squeeze the bag to extract as much juice as possible. (Discard the fibrous contents in the jelly bag.) With the cover off, I got about 170g of juice, and cover on, about 260g of juice. Exactly how much you get out will depend on how much water already cooked off. To make whatever amount you get consistent, place the rhubarb juice back into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook down until it is reduced to about 120-130g.

Let the rhubarb juice cool. Stir in the strawberry puree, simple syrup, and St. Germain. Adjust the simple syrup to taste. Chill completely.

When ready to churn, line a bowl with plastic wrap. Churn the sorbet in an ice cream maker, then spread into the bottom of the bowl and place in the freezer to freeze completely.

3. make the vanilla elderflower semifreddo and pour over the sorbet

• 3 large eggs
• 35g granulated sugar
• 185g whipping cream
• seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or substitute 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste for both seeds and extract)
• 2-3 tbsp St. Germain (or other elderflower liqueur to taste; elderflower cordial could be an alcohol-free alternative)

Set a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water – or other double boiler set up. Whisk together the eggs and honey in the bowl. Mix continuously with a rubber spatula until the eggs appear syrupy and reach about 160-165F – though if you’re getting close to temperature (i.e. 155+) and you start noting any clumping, immediately remove from the heat and stop there. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until the bowl feels cool to the touch and the eggs have quadrupled in volume – and in the words of Stella Parks (original recipe) “thick enough to briefly mound up like soft-serve ice cream when dropped from the whisk.” This may take 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, whip up the cream with the vanilla seeds and extract. Whisk in the St. Germain at the end (use more or less depending on your taste). Add half of the whipped cream to the eggs and whisk in until combined. Add the remaining cream, folding it in gently with a rubber spatula. Pour the semifreddo over the sorbet in the prepared bowl, leaving just enough room for the financier. You will have extra semifreddo if you use the same size bowl as me – put the leftovers in a container and freeze as a dessert for later.

Trim the financier base as necessary so it can fit into the bowl and place over the semifreddo. Return to the freezer and allow to freeze completely.

4. (optional) roast the fruit as an optional garnish, and chill until use

• 50g chopped rhubarb
• 50g chopped strawberries
• 1 generous tsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a small baking pan with parchment paper. Combine the 50g each of chopped rhubarb and strawberries with a bit of sugar and transfer to the pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, mixing partway through, until the fruit is tender. Chill completely until ready to use.

5. make the meringue and cover the baked alaska

• 90g (3 large) egg whites
• pinch cream of tartar
• 90g granulated sugar

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until frothy and sprinkle in a pinch of cream of tartar. Beat until the egg whites and foamy before gradually adding the sugar. The continue to whip on high speed until firm peaks are formed. (I find you get a smoother swoopier meringue if you stop at firm peaks rather than stiff. Peaky, yes, but still nice and soft.)

Take the bowl out of the freezer and turn out onto a tray or upside down-baking tin. Remove the plastic. Cover with meringue and then use the back of a spoon to draw meringue up the sides. Use the spoon to make a nest in the top to hold the roasted fruit.

At this point, you can either torch the meringue or do a quick bake in a very hot (500F) oven until the meringue is browned. If you’re not ready to serve right away, the cake can be put back in the freezer until ready. Top with roasted fruit just before serving.

Note: the egg whites won’t be fully cooked this way, which does post some food safety risk. Be sure to do what is best for you! Some other ideas could be making an Italian or Swiss meringue in which the egg whites get additionally heated.

for posterity – past tentimestea birthday rhubarb cakes

• 1st year – roasted rhubarb layer cake linked to for legacy purposes only; I remade it much improved in my 5th year
• 2nd year – rhubarb victoria sponge
• 4th year – croquembouche with cardamom cream and rhubarb curd (though I would recommend these for a rhubarb cream puff)
• 5th year – revisited roasted rhubarb layer cake
• 6th year – rhubarb, coconut and rooibos mousse cakes
• 7th year – lemon verbena and roasted rhubarb fraisier

coconut, lychee & strawberry shortcake

This is a take on a Japanese style strawberry shortcake – sponge cake, cream, strawberries – but layered with coconut milk bavarian cream, strawberries and lychees. Not to miss out on the cream, the whole thing is topped with a nice thick layer of it. Between a milk soak for the cake layers, the mousse, fruit and cream, it makes for a wonderfully moist cake!

I had a lot of fun making it, though there are a couple tricky bits – be sure to let the cake set completely before un-molding and slicing. Use a long serrated knife to slice the cake with a gentle sawing motion in order to work your way through each of the layers.

• Servings: about 8 from a 6-inch square cake
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Genoise from Spoonful Passion – you could make do with a 3/4 recipe, but this makes sure you have enough cake in case it turns out a bit stout.

special equipment: square 6″ cake tin 2″ tall with a removable bottom (alternatives could be a 7″ round springform tin)

genoise

• 4 large eggs
• 75g granulated sugar
• 10g honey
• 113g cake flour, sfited
• 18g butter
• 20g milk

coconut bavarian cream

• 180g full fat coconut milk
• 20g granulated sugar (you can use more if you prefer sweeter desserts)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 3/4 tsp gelatin bloomed in 2 tbsp water
• 180g whipping cream

assembly

• 3 tbsp milk
• a few drops vanilla extract
• about 250g strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
• about 80g chopped lychees
• an addition ~150g whipped cream, sweetened to taste
• more strawberries to garnish

genoise

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the tin with parchment paper; an easy way to line a square tin is to use two slings of parchment paper, one going in each direction to cover all the sides.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar and honey in a glass bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture until lukewarm to touch or around 100-105F. Pour into the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Place the milk and butter together in a small glass bowl and set in the hot water to warm and melt. (I put a small steaming rack in the bottom of the pot so the water level isn’t too high).

Now return to the eggs: whip on high until the mixture is fluffy but still ribbony. You’ll know it’s ready when you can draw a figure eight with batter flowing from the whisk and it can hold its shape on top of the batter. Whisk on low for one more minute to help reduce any large air bubbles.

Add half of the sifted flour overtop and fold gently until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour. The milk and butter should be warm by now – remove from the pot and add a dollop of the batter, and mix until cohesive. Add this to the rest of the batter and fold until just combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake about 35-40 minutes or until browned an inserted skewer is removed clean. Let cool completely.

Once cooled, trim the top of the cake flat and slice into 1cm thick layers – you’ll only need three, but you’ll probably have enough cake to cut four. To do this, I find it’s best to use a ruler to mark on all four sides of the cake and trace a shallow cut. Then, while slicing the cake, you can follow those as a guide to make sure you get even layers.

bavarian cream

Once the mousse is made, it will need to be used soon – keep that in mind before you start and be sure to read ahead to the assembly portion of the recipe so you know what you’ll need.

Whisk together the coconut milk, egg yolks and sugar in a glass bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the mixture reaches about 160F. Remove the bowl from the pot and add the bloomed gelatin, stirring until melted. Then set aside to let it cool to room temperature, giving it an occasional stir so that it cools evenly (this can be sped up by placing the bowl in another bowl of ice water but be careful to stir more often and make sure it doesn’t set completely).

Meanwhile, whip the cream – you can keep it in the fridge until the custard is cool enough. Whisk about one third of the whipped cream into the coconut milk mixture to lighten and thicken it, then add the remaining whipped cream and fold until combined. You’re now ready to assemble the cake.

assembly

Stir together the 3 tbsp milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

Place a layer of cake into the bottom of the same tin you baked the cake in. Brush with a bit of the milk. Arrange a layer of strawberry slices over the cake and scatter with half of the chopped lychees. Pour about half of the mousse overtop to cover the fruit. Give the pan a couple a couple taps on the counter to help the mousse settle around the fruit. Now repeat this for another layer of cake, milk soak, strawberries, lychees and the remaining mousse. Put a final layer of cake on top and brush with milk.

There will be a bit of a height left between the cake and the top of the pan – take the whipped cream and spread it into a smooth layer over top the cake flush with the top of the pan. (The amount you need to fill up the pan might vary depending on the thickness of your cake layers and fruit. I found about 150g of whipped cream was sufficient for a 1.5cm layer of cream.) Chill the cake for at least a few hours or preferably overnight to allow the mousse to fully set.

Wrap a towel soaked in hot water around the pan for about 10 seconds, and then push the removable bottom up to unmold the cake. Cut in half and then cut each half into four slices. Top with a strawberry half if desired.