A sponge base for a strawberry cake works beautifully in the Thermomix® thanks to one key trick: whipping the eggs with hot water. Just 20 seconds at speed 4 with the butterfly whisk transforms 6 eggs into a light, airy foam that rises to three times its original volume once baked.
We have been baking this cake every year for Mother’s Day. The sponge base is so light and airy that it can be sliced horizontally without crumbling. The strawberry cream filling with gelatine keeps the cake stable, even after a day in the fridge.
Mother's Day Cake with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 13 ✓
- 300 g sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp water hot
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 150 g flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 5 sheets white gelatine
- 800 g strawberries
- 1/2 lemon unwaxed
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 800 g double cream
- 100 g white chocolate shavings
- 1 handful edible flowers optional
Instructions 0 / 15
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1
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Line a 26 cm springform tin with baking paper or grease it well.
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2
Grind the sugar.
Add the sugar to the mixing bowl and grind to icing sugar for 10 sec / speed 10. Set aside.
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3
Whip the eggs.
Insert the butterfly whisk. Add the eggs to the mixing bowl together with the hot water and whip for 20 sec / speed 4 until foamy.
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4
Add the icing sugar.
Remove the measuring cup lid insert. With the Thermomix® running at speed 4, gradually pour in 180 g icing sugar and 1 sachet of vanilla sugar.
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5
Mix the batter.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix for 10 sec / speed 3.
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6
Bake the sponge.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
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7
Cool the sponge base.
Rinse the mixing bowl. Remove the sponge base from the tin and leave to cool completely.
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8
Soak the gelatine.
Soak the gelatine in cold water.
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9
Blend the strawberries.
Wash and hull the strawberries. Set aside 300 g of the nicest strawberries for decorating. Cut the remaining strawberries into small pieces. Place 1/4 (125 g) of them into the mixing bowl and blend for 4 sec / speed 8.
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10
Warm the strawberry puree.
Wash and dry the lemon, grate the zest and add it to the mixing bowl along with the vanilla sugar. Heat for 3 min / 90 °C / gentle stir setting.
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11
Add the gelatine.
Squeeze out the gelatine, add it to the mixing bowl and mix for 4 sec / speed 3. Pour into a large bowl and leave to cool slightly.
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12
Whip the cream.
Rinse the mixing bowl. Insert the butterfly whisk. Add the double cream and 120 g icing sugar to the mixing bowl and whip for approximately 1.5 to 2.5 min / speed 4, watching carefully, until stiff.
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13
Fold in the cream.
Stir 3 tbsp of the whipped cream into the strawberry puree using a whisk, then gently fold in the remaining cream.
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14
Assemble the cake.
Cut the sponge base in half horizontally. Spread approximately
2/3 of the strawberry cream over the bottom half and scatter the strawberry pieces on top. Place the top half of the sponge on top, spread the remaining strawberry cream around the outside of the cake and refrigerate.
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15
Decorate the Thermomix® Mother's Day Cake.
Decorate the cake with the reserved strawberries, chocolate shavings and edible flowers.
Tip: If you like, decorate the cake with edible flowers for a really pretty finish.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why hot water makes the difference when whipping eggs
Whipping eggs to a foam in the Thermomix® only works with the butterfly whisk. But the butterfly whisk alone is not enough. Add the 2 tbsp of hot water to the eggs before you start the Thermomix®. The hot water dissolves the lecithin in the eggs, making the foam more stable and able to hold more air. After 20 seconds at speed 4, the volume has tripled. Without hot water, the foam stays flat.
The icing sugar is then trickled in while the mixing bowl runs at speed 4. Remove the measuring cup lid insert and add 180 g of icing sugar slowly. If the sugar goes in too quickly, the foam will collapse.
Baking the sponge at 170 °C
170 °C top and bottom heat is the right temperature for a sponge base. At 180 °C the surface browns too quickly before the centre is cooked through. At 160 °C the base dries out. Allow 25 to 30 minutes on the middle shelf. Test with a wooden skewer: if it comes out clean with no batter sticking to it, the sponge is done.
Line a 26 cm springform tin with baking paper or grease it well. We cut the baking paper to fit exactly and make sure no edges are sticking up. This stops the sponge climbing up the sides and cracking at the top.
Gelatine strawberry cream filling
Soak 5 sheets of white gelatine in cold water. Blend the strawberries and warm them with lemon zest and vanilla sugar for 3 minutes at 90 °C. The gentle stir setting prevents the strawberry mixture from spattering. Stir the squeezed-out gelatine into the warm strawberry mixture for 4 seconds at speed 3. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool.
Whip the double cream with 120 g icing sugar until stiff. Insert the butterfly whisk again and whip for 1.5 to 2.5 minutes at speed 4, watching closely. The cream is ready when it holds its shape when you lift the butterfly whisk. Stir 3 tbsp of the whipped cream into the strawberry puree using a whisk, then gently fold in the remaining cream. Mixing a little cream in first stops the gelatine from forming lumps.
Slicing the sponge horizontally
Halve the cooled sponge base horizontally. We lay a long knife flat against the side and cut through with a rotating motion. A serrated bread knife works better than a straight-edged blade. Spread 2/3 of the strawberry cream over the bottom half and scatter the strawberry pieces on top. Place the top half on, then spread the remaining strawberry cream around the outside of the cake.
Set aside 300 g of the nicest strawberries for decoration before blending the rest. Halve the decoration strawberries and place them cut-side outwards on the cake. This looks neater than using whole strawberries.
White chocolate shavings with a box grater
Grate 100 g of white chocolate using a box grater. Use the coarse side so the shavings come out larger and look better on the cake. The chocolate must be cold from the fridge, otherwise it will smear. Scatter the shavings evenly over the cake before placing the strawberries on top.
Edible flowers are optional. We use daisies or violas from the garden. The flowers must be unsprayed. Flowers from a florist are often treated and should not be placed on food.
Storing the cake in the fridge
Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before slicing. The gelatine needs this time to set properly. The cake keeps for no longer than one day, as the strawberries release water and the cream becomes watery. We recommend baking and filling it the day before serving and leaving it in the fridge overnight.
Goes well with: Coffee.
More strawberry recipes: Strawberry Layer Dessert, No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake, Strawberry Mango Prosecco, Solero Cake.
