Strawberry Mascarpone Cake with Torched Italian Meringue
There’s something magical about cakes – the way we design them, build them and the occasions we make them for. This strawberry mascarpone cake is one of those that take a little more work, but the result is so soft, moist and delicious that it’s worth every minute.
The components of this cake:
- Fluffy vanilla sponge
- Mascarpone mousse
- Strawberry marmalade
- Italian meringue
Each of the four elements contributes texture and flavour. The fluffy vanilla sponge is the perfect base for the delicate mascarpone mousse, and the strawberries add freshness. Italian meringue is a relatively simple decoration, yet so versatile and incredibly fluffy – and once torched, it makes the cake look very elegant, with every detail delicately highlighted by the caramelised sugar.
Strawberry Mascarpone Cake with Italian Meringue
Ingredients
Fluffy vanilla sponge
- 290 g whole eggs
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 180 g granulated white sugar
- 160 g plain white flour
- 30 g cornflour (cornstarch)
- 20 g almond flour
- 2 g salt
Strawberry marmalade
- 120 g strawberry purée
- 35 g granulated white sugar (mixed with 3g pectin NH)
- 1 g gelatin (bloomed in 6g cold water)
Mascarpone mousse
- 200 g whipping cream (A)
- 10 g vanilla extract
- 45 g egg yolks
- 35 g granulated white sugar
- 4 g gelatin (bloomed in 24g cold water)
- 250 g mascarpone (cold)
- 150 g whipping cream (B) (whipped to firm peaks)
Italian meringue
- 100 g egg whites (pasteurised recommended)
- 10 g lemon juice
- 200 g granulated white sugar
- 60 g water
- 5 g vanilla extract
Instructions
Fluffy vanilla sponge
- Whisk the eggs with the vanilla and sugar until thick, pale and firm – at least 5 minutes, depending on your mixer.
- Separately, mix the flour, cornflour, almond flour and salt.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam with a spatula, keeping as much air as possible.
- Divide the batter between four 18cm rings and bake at 160°C (320°F) for 15–20 minutes, until golden and firm.
- Cool, then level the sponges.
Strawberry marmalade
- Mix the pectin with the sugar.
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Warm the purée to 40°C (104°F), then add the sugar and pectin.
- Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat, add the gelatin and cool completely.
Mascarpone mousse
- Bloom the gelatin in cold water.
- Heat cream (A) with the vanilla.
- Mix the egg yolks with the sugar, pour the hot cream over them, then return to low heat and cook until the mixture reaches 82°C (180°F).
- Remove from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin.
- Cool to 30–40°C (86–104°F), then pour over the mascarpone and whisk until smooth, taking care the mixture doesn’t split. Stir the mascarpone briefly beforehand so there are no lumps.
- Fold in the firmly whipped cream (B). If the mousse is too runny, chill it for a few minutes to start setting.
- Divide into three equal portions by weight.
Assembly
- Place one sponge disc in an adjustable cake ring lined with acetate and tighten the ring around it.
- Stir the strawberry marmalade until creamy and divide it into three equal portions by weight.
- Spread one portion of marmalade over the first sponge.
- Pour over one portion of mousse, then carefully add another sponge. If the mousse is too runny, chill it for 5–10 minutes first.
- Repeat with marmalade, mousse and sponge.
- Finish with the last sponge, placed upside down.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours to set.
Italian meringue
- Combine the water and sugar in a pan.
- Cook until the syrup reaches 118–120°C (244–248°F) on a kitchen thermometer.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice to firm peaks – aim to have the whites and the syrup ready at the same time.
- Pour the syrup in a thin stream over the whites while whisking continuously.
- Keep whisking for 5–10 minutes, until the meringue is firm and glossy and has cooled to around room temperature.
- Fold in the vanilla.
- Cover the cake evenly with meringue.
- Pipe decorations with a star nozzle.
- Torch the meringue and decorate with fresh fruit.
Notes
Love strawberries? Try the raspberry lemon cake too.
Want to bake like a pro? Learn professional layered cakes step by step with our online courses and ebooks – from Red Velvet to Caramel Carrot Cake. Browse the courses →
