Strawberry and pistachio cake comprising
– a pistachio crisp,
– a pistachio sponge,
– a strawberry compote,
– a strawberry mousse,
– a strawberry jelly,
– a sweet tuile.
Equipment used
– Square frame, 12 × 12 × 4.5 cm
– Ancel 210 bloom gelatine
– Butterfly tuile mould
– Silikomart Lotus Flower stencil
– Tefal baking tray
– Baking paper
– Angled spatula
Ingredients
Crunchy pistachio praline
✔50g pistachio praline
✔35g white chocolate
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Diced strawberry compote
✔150g diced strawberries
✔20g caster sugar
✔4g NH pectin
✔2g gelatine
Pistachio biscuit
✔35 g pistachio powder
✔25 g egg
✔1 egg white
✔35 g icing sugar
✔10 g butter
✔7 g flour
Strawberry mousse
✔200 g blended strawberries
✔35 g caster sugar
✔180 g single cream
✔4g gelatine
Strawberry jelly
✔70g blended strawberries
✔10g caster sugar
✔15g water
✔2g gelatine
Strawberry compote
✔70g blended strawberries
✔10g sugar
✔1g NH pectin
Tuile
✔15g sugar
✔15g flour
✔15g melted butter
✔15g egg white
✔Red food colouring
Red berry flavouring
The recipe
Crunchy pistachio praline
✔50g pistachio praline
✔35g white chocolate
✔30g crêpes dentelles
Mix together the pistachio praline, melted white chocolate and crêpes dentelles. Roll out the mixture between two sheets of baking paper. Place in the freezer for a few minutes. Cut out the crisp using your mould. Place it at the bottom of your mould on a serving dish.
Pistachio biscuit
✔35 g pistachio powder
✔25 g egg
✔1 egg white
✔35 g icing sugar
✔10 g butter
✔7 g flour
Pour the sugar, pistachio powder (I blended some unsalted pistachios) and flour into a mixing bowl. Mix together. Add the egg and melted butter. Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff. Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the mixture and mix gently to soften it. Add the rest and fold in gently. Pour onto a baking tray, smoothing the surface. Bake at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes. Leave to cool, then cut a 12×12 cm square to fit your pastry frame.
Place your biscuit in your pastry ring on top of your pistachio praline crunch.
Set aside for the next stage of assembly.
Diced Strawberry Compote
✔150g diced strawberries
✔20g caster sugar
✔4g NH pectin
✔2g gelatine
Place the diced strawberries in a saucepan. Cook over a low heat, stirring regularly, for about ten minutes. If necessary, add a little water whilst cooking. Add the mixture of pectin and caster sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine sheet, which has been softened in a bowl of cold water. Pour approximately 100 to 110g of the compote over the pistachio biscuit. Place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
Strawberry mousse
✔200g puréed strawberries
✔35g caster sugar
✔180g single cream
✔4g gelatine
Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until softened.
Blend the 200g of strawberries. Heat the blended strawberries with the caster sugar in a saucepan for a few minutes over a low heat. If they are very ripe and fragrant, you can leave out the sugar. Turn up the heat slightly and remove from the heat as soon as it starts to boil. Add the drained, softened gelatine, stirring well. Set aside.
Pour the 180g of very cold single cream into a mixing bowl and whip it with an electric whisk. Add the lukewarm strawberry coulis (at a temperature of around 30°C). Mix gently.
Pour the mousse over the strawberry compote, leaving a little space (2–3 mm) for the jelly.
Return it to the freezer straight away and leave it there overnight.
Strawberry jelly
✔70g blended strawberries
✔10g caster sugar
✔15g water
✔2g gelatine
Soak the gelatine leaves in a large bowl of cold water.
Pour the water and the strawberries – which have been blended in a food processor and strained through a sieve – into a saucepan. Add caster sugar if desired (adjust the amount depending on the sweetness of your strawberries), then heat gently without bringing to the boil.
Remove from the heat and add the well-squeezed gelatine. Optional: add a little food colouring, as the strawberries lose their colour when heated. Stir.
Leave to cool slightly, then pour over the frozen cake.
Tilt the frame so that the jelly spreads evenly.
Leave to set in the fridge until the jelly has set. Carefully remove the ring.
Leave the cake whole or cut it into individual portions. Keep it in the fridge whilst it thaws.
Strawberry compote
✔70g puréed strawberries
✔10g sugar
✔1g NH pectin
In a small bowl, mix together the caster sugar and the NH pectin.
In a saucepan, heat the 60g of puréed strawberries for a few minutes. Add the sugar and pectin mixture and continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add a little red food colouring, as the strawberries lose their colour during cooking. Stir. Set aside to cool slightly.
Sweet tuile
✔15g sugar
✔15g flour
✔15g melted butter
✔15g egg white
✔Red food colouring
✔Red berry flavouring
Mix all the ingredients together. Fill the butterfly lace tuile mould. Smooth the surface with an angled spatula to remove any excess. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 6–8 minutes (this may vary depending on your oven). Remove from the mould as soon as they come out of the oven. Be careful, as they harden very quickly and become brittle. Handle with care. Set aside until ready to plate up.
Plating
Using the Silikomart Lotus Flower stencil, spoon the strawberry compote onto your plate. Add a slice of cake. Place a butterfly wafer on top at the very last moment.

