Nordstjernan 2018

(A.K.A. Pinocchio Torte)

Line a 12” x 16 “ sheet cake pan with baking parchment. Grease well and add flour.
Sponge cake:
3 Egg yolks
½ cup or 1 dl Sugar
5 Tablespoons Half & Half
2/3 cup or 1 ½ dl melted Butter
2/3 cup or 1 ½ dl All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and the sugar well until light and fluffy. Add the half & half and the cooled to room temperature melted butter a little of each at a time with the combined flour and baking powder. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading the batter with a spatula.

Meringue:
3 Egg whites
¾ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla sugar
½ cup sliced almonds.

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the sugar and vanilla sugar and beat for a few more minutes. Spread the meringue, slightly unevenly over the cake batter. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake on the lowest oven rack on 400F for 5 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350F for another 20 – 30 minutes until the meringue is golden. Let the cake cool slightly. Carefully remove the cake from the parchment paper and cut in half.

Filling:
1 1/3 cup whipping cream
1 ½ liter Strawberries (1.5 quart—you don’t have to be picky here… experiment!)

Whip the cream and combine with mashed strawberries (leave some for decoration). Spread the filling on one of the cake half and top with the other half, meringue side up. Decorate with Strawberries.
Enjoy!ááá