Today’s lesson was Strawberry Yogurt Mousse Cake. My partner is back and I’m glad to have someone to laugh with and work with. It was a fun lesson albeit a little tiring with all that washing and cream beating. I have done this cake years ago and it is interesting to have a go again at this old bake new insights.

(Makes two 6-inch cakes)

Ingredients

For the sponge

  • 140g egg whites
  • 70g egg yolks
  • 70g cake flour
  • 70g and 25g sugar
  • 16ml corn or canola oil
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract

For the strawberry mousse (this is only enough for a 6-inch cake)

  • 170g whipping cream
  • 160g strawberry puree
  • 35g plain yogurt
  • 12g sugar
  • 6g gelatine leaves
  • 5g lemon juice

For the strawberry glaze

  • 125g strawberry puree
  • 45g caster
  • 6g gelatine leaves

For decorations

  • strawberries cut in halves

Method

For the sponge

  1. Line a baking pan with baking paper and preheat the oven at 170 degree C.
  2. Whisk eggs and 25g of sugar till light and fluffy.
  3. Whisk egg whites in a mixer fitted with a balloon whisk till frothy.
  4. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time and beat till medium peak.
  5. Fold the yolk mixture into the meringue.
  6. Sift flour into the yolk and meringue mixture and fold to combine.
  7. Add a spoonful of batter to the oil and mix through. This is to allow the resultant mixture to mix easily into the rest of the batter in the mixing bowl.
  8. Fold the oil batter into the rest of the better.
  9. Pour into prepared baking pans and bake in a preheated oven of 170 degree C for about 25 min.
  10. To test if the cake is ready, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready.
  11. Leave the cake to cool completely before use.

For the strawberry yogurt mousse

  1. Bloom gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes and squeeze the excess water out and leave aside for use later.
  2. Whisk the whipping cream to soft peak using a balloon whisk, you can do this free hand and work some muscles too.
  3. Warm puree, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan till hot.
  4. Add bloomed gelatine and stir till well mixed.
  5. Add yogurt and stir through to mix well.
  6. Fold the whipped cream into the puree mixture till well mixed.
  7. Use the mousse quickly before the gelatine sets it.

For the strawberry glaze

  1. Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes.
  2. Squeeze excess water from the soaked gelatine and set aside.
  3. Boil puree and sugar in a saucepan.
  4. Add the gelatine leaves and stir to make sure all the gelatine is melted into the puree.
  5. Cool to room temperature before using to glaze.

To assemble

  1. Slice the sponge into 2 layers.
  2. Line a cake ring with cling foil.
  3. Place a layer of sponge at the bottom of a cake ring.
  4. Line the sides of a cake ring with halved strawberries, making sure the strawberry slices is tightly lined against the surface of the cake ring.
  5. Pour in about half the mousse and level the mousse.
  6. Add the second layer of cake sponge.
  7. Pour in the rest of the mousse and level the mousse. Chill in fridge till set.
  8. Pour the cooled glaze over the top of the set mousse and return to chill in fridge.