RECIPE: Neil Perry’s strawberry and mascarpone cake

Neil Perry is a legend of Australia’s culinary scene and the author of numerous cookbooks. Now, he’s back with a brand new cooking bible — Everything I Love to Cook. In it, he revisits legendary dishes from his flagship restaurants like Rockpool Bar & Grill and modern classics from his long-running ‘Good Weekend’ column, as well as new favourites he – and we – can’t get enough of. With tips and techniques to set you up for success every time, Neil is on a mission to boost your kitchen know-how and confidence.

Today, you can try Neil Perry’s recipe for strawberry and mascarpone cake from Everything I Love to Cook — a Rockpool classic. Happy cooking!

Neil Perry Cookbook

Strawberry and mascarpone cake

Serves: 12

When I first started making this cake at Rockpool, in about 1993, it was filled with raspberries, but it is this version, covered in bright-red dried strawberries, that has become famous at Rockpool Bar & Grill. A classic meringue-based cake, it makes an awesome birthday cake, and you can change the fruit to reflect the season. When making meringue, be careful not to overbeat the egg whites, or they’ll end up flopping instead of holding their shape. Also, make sure the whites are free of any yolk and the bowl and whisk are clean and dry; even the smallest drop of water can end in disaster.

Ingredients

35 g (1¼ oz) ground almonds
150 g (5½ oz) desiccated coconut
7 egg whites
80 g (2¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
175 g (6 oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strawberries, hulled and halved
1 cup (20 g) freeze-dried strawberries, crushed to a coarse powder

For the mascarpone filling
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mascarpone
70 g (2½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs, separated
You’ll also need a 25 cm (10 inch) round springform tin or cake ring

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Trace two 25 cm (10 inch) circles on a sheet of baking paper, turn the paper over and place on two baking trays (or one if big enough).

Combine the ground almonds with the coconut in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, and keep whisking until the mixture is thick and glossy and firm peaks form. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the icing sugar into the meringue mixture, then fold in the ground almonds and coconut until just combined. Using a spatula, divide the mixture between the two circles on the baking paper, spreading it out to an even thickness of about 1.5 cm (5/8 inch). Bake the meringues for about 30 minutes, or until golden, then allow to cool on the trays before carefully removing the baking paper.

For the mascarpone filling, use a hand-held whisk to whisk together the mascarpone, two-thirds of the sugar and the egg yolks until very thick. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining sugar and keep whisking until firm peaks form. Gently fold half the egg white mixture into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest.

To assemble the cake, place a meringue disc in the base of your tin or ring and spread with half the mascarpone filling, then cover with the strawberries. Top with the remaining mascarpone filling, followed by the other meringue disc. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, run a knife around the inside of the tin or ring and carefully remove from the cake. Sprinkle the freeze-dried strawberry powder all over the top of the cake, then cut and serve.

Tips

Refrigerated in an airtight container, this cake will keep for up to 3 days.

If you have a food dehydrator, you could dry your own sliced strawberries, soaking them in a little sugar syrup first.

—Images and text from Everything I Love to Cook by Neil Perry, photography by Petrina Tinslay. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99.

Everything I Love to Cook

by Neil Perry

An entirely new-look Neil Perry that surpasses anything previously published and is everything you need to know to cook like Neil at home.

Sixteen years since the publication of Australian national treasure Neil Perry's groundbreaking bible for home cooks, The Food I Love, comes a bookend to that masterwork: Everything I Love to Cook. Neil's influence on the food...

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