Mascarpone and strawberry cake

To prepare mascarpone and strawberry cake, start by making the sponge. Place the eggs, at room temperature, in the bowl of a planetary mixer, together with the sugar 1. Then start to beat them on a medium speed 2 and in the meantime, sieve the flour together with the potato starch 3.

After whisking the eggs 4, add the powders 5 and delicately stir from the bottom upwards, to avoid deflating the mixture, until fully absorbed.

Add the almond flour 7 and stir delicately once more, to create a homogeneous and frothy mixture. Pour it into a 7 inch (18 cm) diameter mold that is 4 inches (10 cm) tall (8-9).

Delicately smooth the surface, without tapping the mold on the worktop. Now 10 bake in a static oven on the middle shelf at 347°F (175°C) for 33 minutes. Once this time is up, check it is done using the toothpick test; remove the cake from the oven if ready 11. Wait a few minutes and while still hot, remove from the mold and turn it over onto a grille. Leave to cool thoroughly 12.

In the meantime prepare the dip. Place the water and sugar in a pan 13, add the peel of half a lemon and half an orange 14. Heat until the sugar fully dissolves. Now filter 15 and leave to cool in a bowl.

Once the sponge cake has fully cooled, start to make the cream for the filling. Place the cream in a bowl, add the seeds of half a vanilla bean 16 and the powdered sugar 17. Beat with an electric whisk into a firm and frothy cream 18.

Place the mascarpone in another bowl and stir a little with a spatula to soften it. Now gradually add the whipped cream 19 and once more stir from the bottom up so as not to deflate the mixture 20. Place half of the cream inside a pastry bag with a striped 1/2 inch (1 cm) tip 21 and place both creams in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them.

Now take the sponge cake, which will have cooled by now, and remove the outer crust on the surface using a long knife with a serrated blade. Cut out three discs of equal thickness by sliding the blade of the knife parallel to the worktop (23-24).

Now prepare the strawberries: delicately wash, hull 25 and dice them 26. Now all you need to do is assemble the dessert. Place the sponge base on a plate, even better if a rotating one. Take the soak and dab it onto the cake base using a brush 27.

Use the pastry bag to apply half of the cream over the entire surface of the cake 28, add half of the strawberries 29 and cover with a second sponge cake disc. Once more, cover the new base with the soak 30,

add the remaining cream in the pastry bag and evenly distribute the strawberries over it. Place the last disc on top 31 and apply the soak 32. Use the remaining cream to cover the entire outer edge 33.

Smooth with a spatula to fully coat the cake 34. Place back in the refrigerator and in the meantime, beat the cream with the powdered sugar 35. Cover the entire cake, once more using a spatula 36.

Once smooth and entirely covered 37, place the remaining cream in a pastry bag with a striped tip 38, Wash the strawberries and cut each one into four pieces 39.

Now coat the entire lower edge of the cake in the ground pistachio, to create a decorative effect on the base only (40-41). Squeeze a few tufts of leftover cream onto the surface 42.

Arrange the sliced strawberries on top 43 and garnish with the ground pistachios 44. Now place in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve your mascarpone and strawberry cake 45.