Small Strawberry Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• Salt
• 125 g raw cane sugar
• 50 g spelt flour type 1050
• 50 g ground almonds
• 1 packet vanilla pudding powder
• 400 ml milk (3.5% fat)
• 2 tsp vanilla powder
• 250 g room‑temperature butter
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar from raw cane sugar
• 500 g strawberries
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 tbsp dried strawberries

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and 50 g sugar until they become glossy and creamy. Whisk the yolks with 50 g sugar until fluffy. Fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Mix flour and almonds together and fold into the batter.

2. 2.

   Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, pour the batter in, smooth it out and bake on a middle rack in a preheated oven at 180 °C (fan 160 °C; gas: level 2–3) for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

3. 3.

   Remove the sponge from the oven, let it cool slightly, carefully lift it off the springform with a thin knife, transfer to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely for at least 2 hours.

4. 4.

   For the buttercream whisk the pudding powder into 6 tbsp milk. Bring the remaining milk with the leftover sugar and vanilla powder to a boil, stir in the prepared pudding mixture and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Remove from heat, let it cool while stirring occasionally.

5. 5.

   Once the butter (at the same temperature as the pudding) is ready, beat it with powdered sugar on high speed until smooth, then gradually add the pudding, whisking until a fluffy cream forms. Set aside.

6. 6.

   Wash, clean and halve the strawberries. Cut the sponge horizontally in half and place the lower layer on a baking sheet lined with the springform rim (or cake ring). Spread jam over it. Arrange strawberry halves along the edge of the cake (cut side out) and lay them on top of the base.

7. 7.

   Spread about ¾ of the buttercream over the first layer and smooth. Place the second layer on top and spread the remaining cream over it. Chill the small strawberry cake for at least 2 hours before serving.

8. 8.

   Finally, place the remaining strawberries in the center. For garnish, finely chop the dried strawberries with a food processor. Set the small strawberry cake on a plate, remove the rim and serve garnished with the chopped strawberries.