Creamy strawberry layer cake

An incredibly creamy strawberry layer cake. It has everything you love: vanilla custard, stracciatella cream, strawberries and desiccated coconut. An added bonus is that it requires no baking, which is especially welcome during hot weather :). This cake, or rather dessert, is stored in the refrigerator and is a crowd-pleaser – a wonderful summer dessert for family and guests alike :).

Ingredients for the layers:

• 6–7 packs of cocoa petit beurre biscuits (100 g per pack)

Ingredients for the custard buttercream:

• 3 cups milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 sachet vanillin sugar (8 g) or 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 3 tbsp potato starch
• 200 g butter, at room temperature

Heat 2 cups of the milk with the sugars. Whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with the flour and potato starch until smooth and lump-free. Pour the mixture into the boiling milk, bring back to the boil and cook for a few minutes, until thickened to a custard-like consistency. Set aside and leave to cool completely (cover the surface of the custard with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming).

Beat the softened butter with a mixer. Gradually add the cooled custard in three batches, beating continuously.

Ingredients for the stracciatella cream:

• 500 ml double cream, chilled
• 50 g mascarpone, chilled
• 50 g dark or milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Place the double cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until thick and firm. Add the finely chopped chocolate and fold through.

Ingredients for the vanilla cream:

• 200 ml double cream, chilled
• 30 g mascarpone, chilled
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Place the double cream, mascarpone, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip until thick and firm.

Additionally:

• 600 g strawberries
• desiccated coconut, for sprinkling (you can substitute grated dark or milk chocolate)

Method:

Line a 25 x 35 cm baking tin with baking paper (this is not essential, but it can make the cake easier to remove and slice). Arrange a single layer of cocoa biscuits over the bottom of the tin. Spread the custard buttercream evenly over the biscuits. Cover with a second layer of cocoa biscuits. Arrange sliced strawberries over the biscuits, then spread the stracciatella cream on top and smooth the surface. Cover with a third layer of cocoa biscuits. Spread the vanilla cream over the biscuits and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut (or grated chocolate).

Chill the creamy strawberry layer cake in the refrigerator for several hours (or prepare it the day before). The creams need time to thicken and set, while the biscuits should soften, making the cake easier to slice. Before serving, cut into squares and decorate each piece with half a strawberry.

Store the creamy strawberry layer cake in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!