Blackcurrant mousse cake

Gelatine mass

1. Pour the powdered gelatin into a clean container and add cold water. Gently stir with a whisk.
2. Place the mixture in the fridge for 10-15 minutes for the gelatin to swell and bloom.
3. Then take the mass out of the fridge and melt it. If there is any foam, remove it with a sieve.
4. Put the mass back into the fridge to set completely. Then cut it into cubes with scissors so it can be weighed and worked with more conveniently. The ratio of gelatin to water should always be 1:6 (one part of gelatin and six parts of water).
5. You can make the gelatin mass in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.

TIP: If you are using gelatin leaves, take the same weight of them as you would with powdered gelatin and soak them in cold water. The gelatin leaves will absorb the right amount of water they need. Then squeeze them and use them as required.

Strawberry juice

1. Put fresh or frozen strawberries in a metal bowl and sprinkle sugar on top to make strawberries release the juices faster.
2. Place the mixing bowl over a pan with boiling water and cover it with plastic wrap to keep the steam inside. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook the strawberries for about 30-45 minutes.

TIP: Make sure the metal bowl does not come in contact with the boiling water.

1. Turn off the heat, remove the plastic wrap and use a fine sieve to strain the strawberry juice for about 10 minutes into a clean bowl. Do not press the strawberries to obtain clear juice.

Sponge cake

1. Whip the egg yolks with sugar (1) in a planetary mixer with a whisk attachment at maximum speed into a pale and fluffy foam. Set the mixture aside.
2. Separately whip the room temperature egg whites with sugar (2) for 3-4 minutes at medium speed into stiff peaks.
3. Mix a bit of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture with a spatula to make the yolk mixture lighter and then carefully fold the rest of the meringue into it.
4. Mix the sifted flour with the potato starch using a whisk and sift these ingredients once again directly over the meringue and egg yolk mixture. Fold the dry ingredients into the batter with the whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
5. Spread the batter in a cake ring d=18 cm in an even layer using an offset spatula.
6. Bake the sponge in the oven, preheated to 165 °C / 329 °F, for 10-15 minutes, minding the peculiarities of your oven. The sponge should spring back when pressed lightly.
7. Cool the sponge down in the freezer or at room temperature and then trim it off with a knife.
8. Cut off the top crust of the sponge so that you get a sponge 2 cm in height.

Blackcurrant mousse

1. Place blackcurrant puree, sugar, xanthan and gelatin mass into the saucepan. Heat to 60 °C / 140 °F, constantly mixing with a whisk.
2. Process the mixture with a hand blender until smooth and glossy texture.
3. Transfer the emulsion to a clean bowl, cover it with cling film and let it cool down to 35 °C / 95 °F.
4. Place glucose syrup and inverted sugar into the saucepan and bring it to 118 °C / 244 °F.
5. Meanwhile, place room temperature egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip into soft foam.
6. Gradually pour hot glucose syrup and inverted sugar into the whipping egg whites and continue whipping them until stiff peaks.
7. In a separate bowl whip the cold cream into soft peaks.
8. Add the meringue to the blackcurrant mixture, and slowly mix, using a spatula.
9. Then add whipped cream to the blackcurrant meringue mixture and mix with a spatula until you get a homogenous and uniform texture.

Strawberry jelly

1. Put the sugar in a saucepan, add the gelatin mass and a bit of the strawberry juice (about 15-20 g) just to dissolve the sugar in.
2. Start heating everything until sugar dissolves and gelatin melts. Do not mix these ingredients too much to prevent gelatin from foaming. Just swirl the saucepan and cook on the lowest heat possible.
3. Then remove the saucepan off the heat and pour the mixture into the rest of the strawberry juice at room temperature. Mix gently with a spatula and transfer everything into a small jug.

Assembly

• Baked sponge layers
• Blackcurrant mousse
• Strawberry jelly

1. Line the sides of the cake ring d=18 cm with acetate strip. Place the sponge inside the ring.
2. Pour the finished blackcurrant mousse on top of the sponge and smooth it with a spoon or offset spatula.
3. Place the cake in the fridge for 6 hours to stabilize the mousse.
4. Pour the finished strawberry jelly on top of the mousse, so that it completely covers it. Place the cake in the fridge for one hour to stabilize the strawberry jelly.

Unmolding and decorating the cakes

• Chilled assembled cake
• 100 g of fresh blueberries
• 100 g of fresh blackberries
• fresh basil leaves

1. Remove the fully stabilized cake out of the mold and peel off the acetate strip.
2. Decorate the cake with fresh berries and oregano leaves.