Strawberry Gateau
This gateau is made with a fatless sponge, a typical German recipe. The sponge cake is layered with whipped cream. Using an electric mixer we can quickly whip up whole eggs and sugar to a thick and fluffy consistency within minutes. This cake/ gateau needs to be stored in the refrigerator and slices beautifully if made the previous day. The corn flour added to the maida brings down the gluten content which is required for bread, nans etc. Cake flour or self rising flour, already has a lower gluten content and some added baking powder. Non dairy cream is available both in a liquid form and in powder form to which an equal quantity of cold water or milk has to be added before whipping with an electric hand mixer. The non dairy cream can be used instead of fresh cream for sandwiching and covering the cake.
- 3/4 cup flour (maida)
- 1/4 cup corn flour
- 6 eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- 1/4 cup castor sugar
- 500 g fresh cream
- 3/4 cup castor sugar
- 250 g fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup powdered non dairy cream
- 1/4 cup cold milk for decorative piping (optional). The powdered, reconstructed non dairy cream is easier for decorative piping than regular whipped fresh cream.
- Sieve flour, corn flour, baking powder twice.
- Beat eggs with granulated sugar for about 10 minutes with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy.
- Fold in sieved flour mixture and vanilla essence.
- Pour into a 9” or 10’’ lined cake tin which has been greased and floured.
- Bake for about 20 minutes in a moderate oven till done.
- Cool and slice horizontally into 2 layers.
- Mix the ingredients for the syrup together.
- Whip the cream with the castor sugar until thick and creamy with an electric mixer.
- Place a layer of cake on the serving platter. Sprinkle with half the syrup.
- Spread less than half of the whipped cream to cover the layer. Sprinkle with a few chopped strawberries.
- Place the second layer of cake over the cream.
- Repeat as for the first layer. Spread the remaining whipped cream to cover top and sides of the cake.
- Set in fridge overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Pipe an outer ring of non dairy cream or butter cream on the top layer of the cake to hold the fruit (optional). Butter cream made with soft butter and icing sugar can also be used for piping.
- Decorate with thin slices of strawberries.
1 cup -240ml