Glacier cake

This recipe for a cake charmingly called Glacier Cake came from one of my readers, who happens to share my name (Dorotka, thank you!). Despite its name, it isn’t an ice cream cake. Instead, it features layers of sponge biscuits, creamy custard filling, fruit jelly and plenty of summer berries. It’s a particularly wonderful dessert during strawberry season and on warm summer days. Light, refreshing and packed with fruit, it’s easy to see how it earned its name. For this version, I used frozen currants, raspberries and blackberries, but you can easily substitute your favourite seasonal fruits. The recipe is rather old-fashioned, yet it remains popular in many homes because it’s simply delicious. Perhaps it’s a dessert from your childhood too?

Ingredients for glacier cake:

• sponge fingers or round sponge biscuits, enough for two layers in the tin
• 2 packets strawberry jelly (each intended for 500 ml water)
• 1½ cups (375 ml) milk
• 5 egg yolks, from large eggs
• 1 packet vanilla custard powder (for 500 ml milk, unsweetened)
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 200 g butter
• 1½ tablespoons cocoa powder
• 500–700 g summer berries: redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Line a deep 23 cm springform tin or a standard 25 cm springform tin with baking paper.

Prepare the jelly: dissolve both packets of jelly in 750 ml boiling water. Leave to cool completely.

Prepare the custard cream: bring 250 ml of the milk to the boil. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the custard powder, plain flour and remaining 125 ml milk. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the boiling milk and cook, stirring frequently, until the custard thickens. Once it reaches the boil, continue cooking for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cover with cling film, ensuring it touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool completely.

Once cooled, prepare the cream. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cooled custard in several additions, mixing well after each one. Divide the finished cream equally between two bowls. Add the sifted cocoa powder to one portion and mix until fully incorporated.

Assembly:

Set aside a small amount of the cooled jelly for dipping the biscuits. Dip the sponge biscuits briefly into the jelly and arrange them in a single layer over the base of the tin. Spread the vanilla custard cream evenly over the biscuits. Dip another layer of biscuits into the jelly and arrange over the cream. Spread the chocolate custard cream evenly on top. Refrigerate until both cream layers are firm.

Once chilled, arrange the fruit over the top of the cake. Carefully pour over the remaining jelly and return the cake to the refrigerator until the jelly has fully set. For best results, leave the Glacier Cake in the fridge overnight before serving.

Enjoy!