Strawberries Rafaello cake

It was my mom’s birthday a week ago and I decided to surprise her with a birthday cake. My family can never have enough of strawberries and since the strawberries season is coming to an end, it was a great opportunity to make something delicious before they are gone.

Last strawberries harvest this year

Besides strawberries my mom really loves coconut so I thought to combine the two and make a strawberries cake inspired on the Rafaello confection.  

Ingredients: 

• 5-6 eggs 
• Pinch of salt 
• ¾ cup of sugar 
• ¾ cup of flour 
• ¼ cup of potato starch 
• 500 mL of Mascarpone cheese 
• 500 mL of whipping cream 
• 1 bar of white chocolate 
• Desiccated coconut 
• Strawberries  
• Almonds   

1. Make a sponge  

Separate egg whites and egg yolks and whip the whites with a pinch of salt. Then slowly add sugar while constantly mixing with a mixer. Then mix in yolks one by one. When a nice uniform yellow colour is achieved then sieve in both flour and potato starch into the whipped eggs and gently fold the batter with a spatula. When well combined place everything on a baking pan and bake at 160-170oC for 25-30 minutes. Let the cake cool for couple of hours and cut it into 3 layers. 

2. Make cream  

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Then whip whipping cream. When cream is nicely whipped add molten chocolate and mascarpone cheese and mix everything very well. 

3. Assemble cake 

Spread some cream on top of the bottom layer of the cake and place thin pieces of strawberries on the cream. Then coat the strawberries with another layer of cream and place another layer of cake on top of that and repeat the process. 

 In the end spread the cream on the sides and on the top of the cake place some more strawberries on the cake’s top layer sprinkle everything generously with coconut and almonds.  

Enjoy!! 

Suzanah