Shrek cake

Shrek cake is a gooseberry-flavoured dessert, of course in a vivid green colour. It’s made of several simple layers: green custard, gooseberry mousse, gooseberry jelly with gooseberries (from compote or syrup), jaffa cakes and sponge fingers. Shrek cake requires no baking, although if you prefer, you can bake a homemade sponge cake for the base instead of using shop-bought sponge fingers. This is a dessert children especially love!

Note for readers in the UK: for the green custard layer, I used Innocent Invigorate.

Ingredients for the base:

• 100–150 g sponge fingers (ladyfingers)

Line the base of a 34 × 23 cm baking tin with baking paper. Arrange the sponge fingers over the base, fitting them closely together and trimming them if necessary to fit the tin.

Ingredients for the green custard:

• 900 ml green fruit drink or thick green fruit juice, such as Polish „Kubuś”
• 3 sachets vanilla custard powder, without sugar

Pour 1½ cups of the green drink into a jug and mix with the custard powders. Bring the remaining drink to the boil. Once boiling, pour in the custard mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling vigorously. Remove from the heat. Pour the hot custard over the sponge fingers and smooth the surface. Leave to cool completely.

Additionally:

• 24 chocolate-topped sponge biscuits, such as Jaffa Cakes (approximately 2½ packs)

Arrange the chocolate-topped sponge biscuits over the cooled custard, chocolate side up.

Ingredients for the gooseberry mousse:

• 1 sachet gooseberry jelly crystals (for 500 ml water)
• 250 ml water
• 400 ml double cream, chilled

Dissolve the gooseberry jelly crystals in half the amount of water stated on the packet – 250 ml. Leave to cool completely and chill slightly. The jelly must not be allowed to set completely.

Whip the double cream until stiff. Gradually pour in the cooled but thickening jelly in a thin stream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.

Pour the mousse over the Jaffa Cakes and smooth the surface. Refrigerate until completely set.

Ingredients for the gooseberry jelly:

• 2 sachets gooseberry jelly crystals (each for 500 ml water)
• 800 ml water
• cooked gooseberries, for example from gooseberry compote or syrup

Prepare both sachets of gooseberry jelly according to the packet instructions, but use 800 ml water instead of 1 litre. Leave to cool to room temperature. Once the gooseberry mousse has completely set, arrange the drained gooseberries over the surface. Pour over the cooling but still liquid jelly. Refrigerate until the jelly has completely set.

Shrek cake should be stored in the fridge.

Enjoy!