Strawberry Sponge Cake
A classic Japanese-style cake with a whole-egg whipped sponge cake base, filled and decorated with whipped cream and strawberries.
Ingredients
Eggs (room temperature)
2 (about 100 g)
Granulated sugar (for sponge)
60 g
Cake flour (sifted)
60 g
Butter (melted over bain-marie)
10 g
Heavy cream
250 ml
Granulated sugar (for whipping cream)
25 g
Strawberries (3 halved lengthwise, rest sliced 5 mm)
about 20 (320 g)
Pistachios (pastry grade, chopped)
to taste
Water (for almond brittle)
20 ml
Granulated sugar (for almond brittle)
50 g
Chopped almonds (for almond brittle)
30 g
Simple syrup (water : sugar = 3 : 1)
50 ml
Kirsch (cherry brandy)
25 ml
Instructions
1
Preparation
Place the parchment under the tube pan and fold it up to fit the shape of the pan. Boil water for the bain-marie and sift the cake flour onto the parchment.
2
Make the sponge batter
Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and gently loosen them with the whisk. Add the granulated sugar and combine while warming over a bain-marie at 60°C.
3
Whip the eggs
When the mixture reaches about 36°C, stop warming over the bain-marie. Tilt the bowl and whip rapidly with the mixer. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Whip until the falling ribbon forms a figure-eight pattern, then switch to low speed and beat to a glossy finish.
4
Fold in the flour
Melt the butter over a bain-marie. Add half of the flour and fold with a spatula in a circular scooping motion, lifting from the bottom and turning the bowl 1/6 turn counterclockwise each time. When nearly combined, add the remaining half of the flour and fold until no dry streaks remain.
5
Add the butter
Pour the hot melted butter first over the rubber spatula as a buffer, then let it flow over the entire surface of the batter, and fold in quickly.
6
Bake
Set the tube pan on a baking sheet and pour in the batter. Drop the pan from about 10 cm onto a cloth or cork mat 3–4 times. Bake at 180°C for about 25 minutes.
7
Cool and unmold
Remove the cake from the oven and press the surface with a finger to confirm it springs back. Invert the pan with the cake and place it bottom-up on a rack to cool. Peel off the parchment from the bottom and run a knife around the inside of the tube pan to release. Use a dowel to help split the cake into 3 even horizontal layers.
8
Prepare the decorations
Combine the heavy cream and granulated sugar and whip to soft peaks (7分发). Chill in the refrigerator. Chop the pistachios. Wash and hull the strawberries: halve 3 lengthwise and slice the rest into 5 mm pieces.
9
Make the almond brittle
Combine the water and granulated sugar in a saucepan and dissolve over medium heat. When the syrup begins to thicken, about 115°C, add the chopped almonds and stir in. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture turns brown, then spread out on parchment. Once cooled, place in a plastic bag and crush.
10
Assemble the layers
Mix the simple syrup with the kirsch. Place one cake layer on a turntable and brush with 1/3 of the syrup. Spread with whipped cream and arrange the strawberry slices. Add another thin layer of cream to fill the gaps, then stack the second cake layer. Repeat this step.
11
Frost and decorate
Stack the final cake layer, spread a thin layer of cream, and chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Remove and frost the top and sides, marking radial lines. Whip the remaining cream to medium-stiff peaks (8分发) and pipe decorative borders. Sprinkle with pistachios and almond brittle.
