Strawberry and Watermelon Patisserie
Delicately delightful, this cake is made for sharing.
How long will it take?
1 ½ hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 8
What do I need?
For the cake
- 150 g almonds, roughly chopped
- 150 g icing sugar
- 5 egg whites
- 135 g caster sugar
For the watermelon
- 250 g seedless watermelon
- 20 mL rosewater
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
For the rose cream
- 300 mL cream
- 30 g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp rosewater
For the filling and top
- 500 g strawberries, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 40 mL rosewater
- 1 tbsp pistachios, chopped
- 1 tbsp dried rose petals
How do I make it?
- Blitz almonds in a food processor until finely ground, then add to a bowl with icing sugar and stir to combine. Whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then add caster sugar and whisk until stiff peak stage. Fold egg whites through almond and icing sugar mixture. Spread mixture onto a 30-centimetre x 40-centimetre lined oven tray and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Cut watermelon into thin slices and place in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with 20 mL of rosewater and 2 tbsp sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then remove watermelon and pat dry with paper towel.
- Meanwhile, make cream by whisking cream and sugar together until soft peaks form. Slowly add rosewater, whisking to stiff peak stage.
- Add strawberries, 2 tbsp sugar, 40 mL rosewater, to a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
- When cooled, cut cake in half lengthways. Spread one-third of the cream over one of the sponge pieces. Top with three-quarters of the strawberries, reserving the remainder for the top of the cake. Add another layer of cream and lay the second piece of sponge on top. Spread remaining cream over the top and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.
- Add watermelon to the reserved strawberries and arrange on top of the cake. When ready to serve, scatter with pistachios and rose petals.
