Savarin with Strawberries

By maredan

Ingredients

• Cake
• 1-1/2 * 1-1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 * 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 * 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 * 3 tablespoons warm water
• 2 * 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 * 2 tablespoons milk
• * lemon zest
• 1 * 1 cup flour
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup butter, softened
• Syrup
• 2 * 2 cups water
• 1 1/4 * 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 * 1/4 cup Grand marnier, Kirsch, rum or eau-de-vie
• Topping
• 2 * 2 cups heavy cream
• * A few drops of vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 * 1 to 2 Tbsp sugar
• * A few generous handfuls of fresh strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
• * Mint leaves for garnish, if desired

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Cake

1. Butter and flour a 10-inch/25 cm ring mould. Mix the yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Add the eggs, milk, lemon zest, and flour. Beat vigorously in a stand-up mixture with paddle attachment for a full 10 minutes. This is necessary to make the dough smooth and elastic, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, which will result in a very light, fine-textured cake. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour.
2. Punch down the dough. Beat in the softened butter, a piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Spoon the mixture into the mould, evenly. Cover, and let rise again for two hours.
3. Heat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Bake the Savarin until golden brown, 20 minutes. Remove from mould onto a cooling rack, then transfer to a large serving platter.

Syrup

1. For the syrup, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan 1 minute. Stir in the Grand Marnier. Ladle the syrup over the cake, until fully absorbed. The cake will expand and become very sponge-like in texture.

Topping

1. To serve, whip the cream with the vanilla and sugar. Fold in the strawberries, reserving a few for garnish, and spoon into the hole in the centre of the cake or pass in a bowl to serve on the side.
2. *If you want a really glossy top, melt a jelly, such as apricot, and brush the cake with it once all the syrup has been absorbed.