- For the Sponge Cake
- 1½ cup flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 9 eggs separated, room temperature
- ¼ tsp cream of tarter
- 1½ cups sugar, separated in 2 portions of ¾ cup
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- For the Pavlova layers
- 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 cup fine granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- For the Strawberry Fool
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 4 rounded tablespoons powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup roasted strawberry jam (or your favorite good quality jam)
Instructions
For the Sponge Cake
Line the bottoms of three 8 or 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Add ¾ cup sugar gradually until egg whites are stiff.
Beat egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar until foamy and thickened.
Fold beaten egg yolks into the beaten egg whites along with the vanilla for only a few turns before slowly and gradually folding in the flour and baking powder mixture very gently BY HAND using a rubber spatula until just incorporated into the meringue mixture. I mix in the dry ingredients in 3 equal portions. Do not over mix, you just want the flour to be incorporated; over mixing will deflate the egg whites and result in a tough textured final product.
Pour into 3 un-greased 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with the bottoms lined with parchment paper and bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Cool completely in the pans before running a sharp knife around the edge to release the cakes from the pans and then remove the parchment paper from the bottoms.
For the Pavlova layers
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks and gradually add the sugar slowly, whipping until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pinch the meringue between your fingertips to feel that all of the sugar granules have completely dissolved.
Sift the corn starch through a fine sieve and sprinkle over the meringue mixture and fold in until completely incorporated along with the vinegar. This step helps a crisp crust to form on the meringue.
Drop the meringue in two halves onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread it out into two 9 inch circles. I use the cake pans to outline the exact size on the parchment paper with a pencil, then flip the paper over on the baking sheet. Be sure to keep the meringue about a ¼ inch inside the line to allow a little room for expansion as the pavlova bakes.
Bake for about 1 hour or until small cracks appear in the meringue and it is slightly golden brown. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and allow the meringues to cool completely in the oven.
For the Strawberry Fool
Whip the whipping cream,icing sugar and vanilla extract to firm peaks.
Gently fold in the strawberry jam by hand using a rubber spatula. There is no need to fully fold in the jam. Leaving streaks of jam ribboned through the whipped cream is desirable.
To construct the cake
Place the first layer on the serving plate. Cover with a thin layer of strawberry fool.
Add one of the pavlova layers topped with a second thin layer of fool.
Repeat this process with the second cake layer and second pavlova layer before adding the final sponge cake layer on top.
Top the final layer of cake with the remaining Strawberry fool and garnish with fresh strawberries and additional roasted strawberry jam if desired.
Chill the cake for at least an hour before cutting and serving.
Note
Source recipes -Here-
