This impressive-looking almond and coconut dacquoise combines the beautiful creaminess of mascarpone cheese with sweet and tart strawberries and raspberries.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Grease three large oven trays. Mark a 26cm circle on three sheets of baking paper, then turn over and place of the greased trays.
Beat the egg whites in the large of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add caster sugar, beating until dissolved between additions. Gently fold int he sifted icing sugar, then the almond meal and coconuts.
Divide mixture evenly between three trays and spread within the marked circles. Smooth tops. Bake for about 1½ hours or until dry to touch. Cool in the oven with the door ajar.
Make mascarpone filling: Beat the egg, lemon rind and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and thick. Gradually fold in the mascarpone until just combined.
Reserve 24 small, even-sized strawberry halves. Gently fold remaining strawberries into mascarpone filling.
Gently invert each coconut disc and remove the baking paper. Place a coconut disc on a large serving plate. Use the removable base of a flan tin to help move the disks.
Cover the disc with half the mascarpone filling and spread almost to the edge. Arrange 12 strawberry halves around the edge; top with the second disc. Press gently but firmly. Top with the remaining mascarpone filling; arrange remaining halved strawberries around the outside, then position the last disc.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
To serve the cake, top with the raspberries and dust lightly with the extra sifted icing sugar.
Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Test Kitchen tip
Dacquoise is a type of layer cake made from thin, nut-flavoured meringue discs sandwiched together with some kind of cream.
Mascarpone is a a type of Italian fresh-cultured cream product made in much the same way as yoghurt. It has a butter-rich, luscious texture and is soft, creamy and spreadable. Mascarpone is used in desserts and as an accompaniment to a dessert or fresh fruit.
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