Lemon Strawberry Mousse Cake

Photo: flickr user meshmar2

Ingredients

1 cup All-purpose flour 250 mL

cup Toasted hazlenuts or pistachio nuts, finely chopped 75 mL

2 tablespoons Granulated sugar 25 mL

1/2 cup Unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 125 mL

1 Egg yolk 1

1 tablespoon Lemon juice 15 mL

2 ounces Homemade or commercial sponge cake 60 g

4 cups Fresh strawberries 1 L

1 env unflavoured gelatin 1

1/4 cup Cold water 50 mL

4 Egg yolks 4

3/4 cup Granulated sugar, divided 175 mL

3/4 cup Lemon juice 175 mL

1 tablespoon Finely grated lemon peel 15 mL

4 ounces Cream cheese 125 g

1 3/4 cups Whipping cream 425 mL

Chopped toasted pistachio nuts

Sifted icing sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

To make pastry, in large bowl, combine flour with nuts and granulated sugar. Cut in butter until it is in tiny bits.

Combine egg yolk with lemon juice. Sprinkle over flour mixture and gather dough together into a ball. Roll or press to fit bottom of 9 or 10 inch/23 or 25cm springform pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Break sponge cake into small pieces and and sprinkle on top of pastry.

Reserve eight of the best strawberries for the top. Hull remaining berries.

Cut about twelve even sized berries in half and arrange around edge of pan with cut side of berries pressed against the edge. Arrange remaining berries to fit inside pan with tips pointing up.

To make the filling, sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small saucepan.

Allow to soften for 5 minutes. Heat gently until dissolved.

In medium saucepan, beat 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup/125 mL granulated sugar until light. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and just comes to the boil. Stir in dissolved gelatin.

Cool.

In large bowl, beat cream cheese with with remaining 1/4 cup/50 mL granulated sugar. Beat in cool lemon cream.

In separate bowl, beat whipping cream until light. Fold into lemon cream.

Pour over berries. Shake pan gently so lemon mixture falls between berries and top is even. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or until set. Run knife around edge of pan and remove sides. Place cake on serving platter. (Remove springform bottom only if it comes away easily.)

Arrange 1 inch/2.5 cm strips of waxed paper on top of the cake, leaving spaces in between. Sprinkle spaces with pistachio nuts. Remove paper carefully. Leave hulls on reserved berries and cut in half. Arrange berries in rows along empty strips. Dust with icing sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NOTES : This beautiful cake can be a highlight on a dessert table. The recipe, from Bonnie Stern's revised Desserts book, yields 10 to 12 servings.