When making meringue, be careful not to overbeat the egg whites, or they’ll end up flopping instead of holding their shape. Also, make sure the whites are free of any yolk and the bowl and whisk are clean and dry; even the smallest drop of water can end in disaster.
SERVES 8–10
Ingredients
- 35g ground almonds
- 150g desiccated coconut
- 7 egg whites
- 80g caster sugar
- 175g icing sugar, sifted
- 500g strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 cup freeze-fried strawberries, crushed to a coarse powder
For the mascarpone filling
- 500G mascarpone
- 70g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C. Trace two 25cm circles on a sheet of baking paper, turn the paper over and place on two baking trays (or one if big enough).
- Combine the ground almonds with the coconut in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy and firm peaks form. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the icing sugar into the meringue mixture, then fold in the ground almonds and coconut until just combined. Using a spatula, divide the mixture between the two circles on the baking paper, spreading it out to an even thickness of about 1.5cm. Bake the meringues for about 30 minutes, or until golden, then allow to cool on the trays before carefully removing the baking paper.
- For the mascarpone filling, use a hand-held whisk to whisk together the mascarpone, two-thirds of the sugar, and the egg yolks until very thick. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining sugar and keep whisking until firm peaks form. Gently fold half the egg white mixture into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest.
- To assemble the cake, place a meringue disc in the base of a 25cm round springform tin or cake ring tin and spread with half the mascarpone filling, then cover with the strawberries. Top with the remaining mascarpone filling, followed by the other meringue disc. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the tin or ring and carefully remove from the cake. Sprinkle the freeze-dried strawberry powder all over the top of the cake, then cut and serve.
Tips: Refrigerated in an airtight container, this cake will keep for up to 3 days. If you have a food dehydrator, you could dry your own sliced strawberries, soaking them in a little sugar syrup first.
This is an edited extract from Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry, photography by Petrina Tinslay. Published by Murdoch Books RRP $59.99.
