Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Step 1: The dough begins: In a bowl, beat eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla sugar until very thick and frothy using a hand mixer. This takes a few minutes but is important for the lightness of the base later. The mixture should become significantly lighter and more voluminous.
- Step 2: Add liquid & dry ingredients: Briefly stir in the egg liqueur and oil. Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it portionswise over the egg mixture. Carefully fold in the flour with a rubber spatula or on the lowest mixer speed just until no flour streaks are visible. Do not overmix!
- Step 3: Into the pan: Line the bottom of a springform pan (26 or 28 cm diameter) with parchment paper. Do not grease the rim, this helps the dough rise. Pour the dough into the pan and spread it smoothly. Bake in the preheated oven at 190 °C (top/bottom heat) for approx. 20 minutes. Do the skewer test: if a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, the base is done.
- Step 4: The base cools down: Take the base out of the oven, carefully release the springform rim, and let it cool completely on a cooling rack. Only remove the parchment paper once it is cold.
- Step 5: Get started on the cream base: Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water. In a small cup, mix the pudding powder with the sugar and 3 tablespoons of the 400 ml milk until smooth. Bring the remaining milk to a boil in a pot. Stir in the mixed pudding powder and let it boil briefly again while stirring until it thickens. Remove the pot immediately from the heat. Squeeze the soaked gelatin well and stir it immediately into the hot pudding until completely dissolved. Very important: Do not boil after adding gelatin!
- Step 6: Let the pudding cool: Pour the pudding into a clean bowl. To prevent skin from forming, you can place plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let the pudding cool completely. You can stir it occasionally, this speeds up cooling.
- Step 7: Finish the cream: Whip the 250 g cream until stiff. In an extra bowl, stir the Schmand until smooth. Once the pudding is cold (it should have become firm!), first stir the smooth Schmand into the pudding. Then carefully fold in the stiffly whipped cream. This makes the cream so wonderfully light and creamy!
- Step 8: Layer and chill: Place the cooled cake base on the cake plate or serving dish. Place an adjustable cake ring tightly around the base. Spread the vanilla cream evenly over the base. Chill the cake for at least 2 to 3 hours (preferably longer, ideally overnight) in the refrigerator. The cream must become really firm.
- Step 9: Strawberry finale: Once the cream is firm, it's time for the strawberries! Wash them, remove the green parts, and cut them into bite-sized pieces as you like. Arrange the strawberries densely on the firm cream and press them down slightly. Prepare the red cake glaze according to package instructions (usually with water and sugar). Carefully pour the warm, but no longer boiling hot glaze over the strawberries. Chill the cake again until the glaze is set.
Notes
Variations & Extras:
- No egg liqueur? Replace with the same amount of milk or orange juice; the base will be slightly less aromatic but still moist.
- Vegan? Replace gelatin with agar-agar, use plant-based milk, vegan Schmand substitute, and whipped vegan cream. Prepare a vegan cake base without egg.
- Other fruits: Use raspberries, blueberries, or a mix of red berries instead of strawberries.
- More vanilla: For a more intense vanilla flavor, add the seeds of a vanilla bean or some good vanilla paste to the milk when cooking the pudding.
- In the dough: Add chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the dough for extra crunch.
- Ingredient Temperature: Eggs for the dough should be at room temperature for better foaming.
- Fold in flour carefully: Mix flour with baking powder only briefly until just combined. Overmixing makes the dough tough.
- Soak gelatin correctly: Always in plenty of cold water. Squeeze well before adding to warm (not boiling!) pudding.
- Dissolving gelatin: Do not boil after adding gelatin! Otherwise, it loses its binding power.
- Cool pudding well: The cream only works if the pudding is cold and firm BEFORE mixing with Schmand and cream.
- Fold in cream gently: This keeps the cream airy and light.
- Respect chilling times: Be patient! The cream and glaze need time in the fridge to set.
- Use a cake ring: A cake ring makes layering and setting the cream super easy and ensures a nice shape.