Strawberry Cake with Pistachios

Ingredients

• 7 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 150 g sugar
• 150 g flour
• 25 g cornstarch
• 1 packet vanilla pudding powder
• 450 ml milk
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar (for dusting)
• 400 g whipping cream
• 2 packets stabilizer for whipped cream
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar
• 500 g fresh strawberries
• 500 ml red fruit juice
• 2 packets red gelatin
• 80 g chopped pistachios

Instructions

1. 1.

   Separate the eggs. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, gradually adding half the sugar. Continue beating until glossy and peaks form. Whisk yolks with remaining sugar until fluffy. Fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture. Sift flour and cornstarch together, then gradually fold into the batter.

2. 2.

   Line a springform pan with parchment paper, pour in the batter, smooth the top, and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (160 °C fan) for 30–35 minutes. Remove, cool, release from the mold, and let it rest completely on a cooling rack.

3. 3.

   In the meantime, whisk pudding powder with 3 tbsp milk until smooth. In a saucepan bring remaining milk and sugar to a boil, then stir in the prepared pudding mixture while stirring continuously. Keep cooking until thickened, pour into a bowl, dust with powdered sugar, and let cool.

4. 4.

   Beat cream with stabilizer and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form; fold half of this whipped cream into the cooled pudding.

5. 5.

   Wash, trim, and slice strawberries lengthwise into thin slices. Mix red fruit juice with gelatin and warm in a saucepan.

6. 6.

   Cut the sponge horizontally twice to create three layers. Spread strawberry slices on two layers, drizzle with the gelatin mixture, let dry slightly, then spread pudding cream over them, stack the layers, and place the top layer on top. Press gently.

7. 7.

   Brush the entire cake with remaining whipped cream. Insert remaining strawberry slices into the surface and sprinkle pistachios around the rim. Chill for about an hour before slicing and serving.