For a while we have been planning a new dining area in the barn so that we can serve breakfast in the summer in a warm sunny spot...
Sometime in January when the temperatures were pretty miserable Mike set to making a fab new very long wooden table that seats somewhere around 16! And then he painfully started to hand cut and put together the 'walls! More like a screen I guess but cleverly designed to provide the perfect bar leaner for the odd glass of red when the table tennis competition starts late into the evening after dinner. The plan was to make either side of the walls out of stacked wood which was neatly organised...it looked fantastic for a bit but as it got colder and the wood stocks got lower the wall was eventually called in for duty!
So another cooking day today...I literally whipped up the dessert last night and it reminded me that I must share this amazing recipe with everyone....it is like a little cooking magic! And delicious! The recipe comes from Annabel Langbein's cookbook 'The Free Range Cook'...a taste of home.
STRAWBERRY CLOUD CAKE
Cook time:
4 hours (in the freezer)
Serves: 10-12
150g plain sweet biscuits 1⁄2 cup desiccated coconut 11⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 100g butter, melted
To fill:
To garnish:
fresh raspberries
1. Line the base of a 26-28cm spring form cake tin with baking paper or waxed paper. This makes it easy to lift the cake out later.
2. Make the base by putting the biscuits in a brown paper bag and crushing them into crumbs by beating carefully with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl and add the coconut, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir well to combine.
3. Press firmly into the base of the prepared tin. It doesn’t need to be a thick layer – just enough to cover the bottom of the tin. Refrigerate the base while you prepare the filling.
4. Place egg whites, sugar, sliced strawberries, lemon juice and vanilla in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed for about 6-8 minutes until the mixture is very thick and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. To test whether it is ready, rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers. You should not feel any gritty sugar. If you do, beat a little longer.
5. Spoon the filling over the chilled base, smooth the top, cover with a sheet of baking paper and freeze for at least 4 hours. The cake will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
To serve, cut cake into wedges using a knife that has been warmed in hot water. Garnish with fresh strawberries or raspberries on top
4 hours (in the freezer)
Serves: 10-12
150g plain sweet biscuits 1⁄2 cup desiccated coconut 11⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 100g butter, melted
To fill:
To garnish:
fresh raspberries
1. Line the base of a 26-28cm spring form cake tin with baking paper or waxed paper. This makes it easy to lift the cake out later.
2. Make the base by putting the biscuits in a brown paper bag and crushing them into crumbs by beating carefully with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl and add the coconut, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir well to combine.
3. Press firmly into the base of the prepared tin. It doesn’t need to be a thick layer – just enough to cover the bottom of the tin. Refrigerate the base while you prepare the filling.
4. Place egg whites, sugar, sliced strawberries, lemon juice and vanilla in the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed for about 6-8 minutes until the mixture is very thick and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. To test whether it is ready, rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers. You should not feel any gritty sugar. If you do, beat a little longer.
5. Spoon the filling over the chilled base, smooth the top, cover with a sheet of baking paper and freeze for at least 4 hours. The cake will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month.
To serve, cut cake into wedges using a knife that has been warmed in hot water. Garnish with fresh strawberries or raspberries on top
