A delicious gooseberry cake with a delicate hint of coconut. It is made with a buttery base, topped with gooseberry custard (I used red gooseberries, though green ones work just as well), a light cream layer and a soft coconut meringue. The meringue is not crisp; instead, it forms a tender coconut-meringue layer often used in layered cakes. The result is absolutely wonderful – a generously sized cake that slices beautifully. It looks impressive, has a refreshing flavour and is well worth baking during gooseberry season.
Ingredients for the cake base:
- 125 g butter
- 125 g caster sugar
- 4 egg yolks (from large eggs)
- 125 g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
Line the base of a 25 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Spread the batter evenly over the base.
Ingredients for the coconut meringue:
- 4 egg whites (from large eggs)
- a pinch of salt
- 120 g caster sugar
- 90 g desiccated coconut
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, spoonful by spoonful, whisking continuously until glossy. Fold in the desiccated coconut gently with a spatula. Spread the coconut meringue over the cake batter in the tin and level it.
Bake at 170°C for about 35–40 minutes. The meringue will not be crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, separate the two layers: the sponge and the coconut meringue (the meringue layer should lift off easily). Return the sponge layer to the tin. Cut the meringue into 12 triangles and set aside.
Ingredients for the gooseberry custard layer:
- 750 g gooseberries, topped and tailed
- 110 g sugar
- 1½ packets vanilla or cream custard powder (unsweetened), about 60 g in total
- ¾ cup water
Place the gooseberries in a saucepan with the sugar and ¼ cup water. Cover and bring to the boil until the berries burst. In a glass, mix the custard powder with the remaining ½ cup water. Pour into the gooseberries and cook briefly, stirring, until thickened. Remove from the heat.
Spread the hot gooseberry custard over the sponge layer in the tin. Level and allow to cool completely.
Ingredients for the cream layer:
- 400 ml double cream (36%), chilled
- 100 g mascarpone, chilled
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
Whip the cream with mascarpone and icing sugar until thick and stable. Spread the whipped cream over the cooled gooseberry layer. Arrange the coconut meringue triangles on top. Dust lightly with icing sugar and sprinkle with desiccated coconut. Chill in the fridge for about 3 hours before serving.
Slice and serve. Store the cake in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted frombrigitte.de.
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