Darren Purchese’s Strawberry, Chocolate & Balsamic Lamington Stack Recipe

If you’re looking to steal the show at your next celebration, this Strawberry, Chocolate and Balsamic Lamington Stack cake from The Baker’s Book is the answer.

Created by the master of sweet invention Darren Purchese, this towering take on the humble lamington is as stunning as it is delicious.

Layered with decadent chocolate sponge, luxurious mascarpone cream, and a boldly flavoured strawberry, chocolate and balsamic jam, it’s a dessert that balances richness, tang and sweetness in perfect harmony. While it does involve a few steps, don’t be intimidated. Prepping the jam and cream in advance means less stress on the day, and more time to enjoy your masterpiece.

Images and text from The Bakers Book edited by Ruby Goss, photography by Rochelle Eagle, illustrations by Beci Orpin. Murdoch Books RRP $45.

Ingredients

Strawberry, chocolate and balsamic vinegar jam:

• 250 g (9 oz) ripe strawberries
• 175 g (6 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2.5 g (1⁄16 oz) pectin powder (e.g. Jamsetta)
• 25 g (1 oz) glucose syrup
• 20 g (¾ fl oz) balsamic vinegar
• 40 g (1½ oz) dark chocolate, at least 55%, buttons or coarsely chopped

Lamington sponge:

• 225 g (8 oz) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 270 g (9½ oz) egg white (from about 9 eggs)
• 5 g (1⁄8 oz) cream of tartar
• 270 g (9½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 210 g (7½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 8 g (¼ oz) baking powder
• 3 g (1⁄8 oz) sea salt
• 180 g (6¼ oz) egg yolk (from about 9 eggs)
• 5 g (1⁄8 oz) vanilla bean paste

White chocolate, vanilla and mascarpone cream:

• 260 g (9¼ oz) whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped
• finely grated zest of ½ orange
• 1 star anise, freshly grated
• 90 g (3¼ oz) white chocolate, melted
• 75 g (2¾ oz) mascarpone cheese

Chocolate soaking sauce:

• 90 g (3¼ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 270 g (9½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 210 g (7½ oz) water
• 160 g (5¾ oz) pouring cream

To finish:

• 250 g (9 oz) desiccated coconut
• small handful of fresh strawberries, half of them hulled and some halved lengthways and/or sliced

Method

Strawberry, chocolate and balsamic vinegar jam:

1. Finely chop the strawberries, then crush with a fork or pulse quickly in a blender. You don’t want to purée the fruit – we are after a blend of juices and small chunks.
2. Mix the sugar with the pectin in a medium bowl and combine this and the strawberries in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Add the glucose and continue cooking, stirring regularly with a heat-resistant spatula to ensure the jam doesn’t stick or burn. We are trying to cook the jam quickly to retain the vibrancy of the fruit. Once the jam comes to the boil, add the vinegar. Continue to cook and stir the jam, taking care of splatters, until it reaches 103°C/217°F (using a digital or sugar thermometer to measure the temperature accurately). Remove from the heat.
3. Put the chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl and pour 100 g (3½ oz) of the hot jam over it. Use a spatula to mix well and melt the chocolate. At this stage, you can use a stick blender to fully emulsify the chocolate and jam. Return this mixture to the remaining jam and mix well with a spatula.
4. Pour the jam into sterilised jars or airtight containers. Seal and leave to cool.

Lamington sponge:

1. Grease two 22 cm (8½ inch) diameter springform cake tins with butter and neatly line the bases and sides with baking paper. If you only have one tin, then halve the sponge quantities and make twice, reusing the tin for the second batch. Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F fan-forced (210°C/400°F conventional).
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium–low heat and set aside to cool. Combine the egg white and cream of tartar in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip together on medium speed until stiff. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, over about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl and add the salt. Add the egg yolk and vanilla to the still whisking meringue and whisk on medium speed for 20 seconds. Remove the bowl from the machine, sift in half the flour mixture and fold in gently with a spatula. Sift in the remaining flour and fold in with the spatula.
4. Take a ladleful of the batter, mix it into the cooled melted butter, then return this to the batter and fold in gently. Divide the batter evenly between your prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are a light golden brown on top and a skewer gently inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then release the clip and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Remove the baking paper and leave to cool completely.

White chocolate, vanilla and mascarpone cream:

1. Heat 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of the cream with the vanilla bean and seeds, orange zest and star anise in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Return to the boil, then strain through a sieve onto the white chocolate.
2. Leave to sit for 30 seconds before stirring well with a spatula to combine.
3. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then fold in the cold mascarpone and the remaining cream.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Chocolate soaking sauce:

1. Mix the cocoa powder with the sugar in a medium bowl and add the water, stirring to eliminate any lumps and to make a paste.
2. Transfer to a medium heavy-based saucepan and add the cream, mixing well with a spatula.
3. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula.
4. Continue to cook for 1–2 minutes (to cook out the cocoa powder), stirring constantly. Strain through a sieve into a wide dish. Set aside

To cover the sponges, pour half the desiccated coconut onto a wide plate or dish. Take a cooled sponge and dip it into the warm chocolate soaking sauce. Leave for a minute before gently flipping it to ensure the entire surface of the sponge is soaked and covered in the sauce. Lift the sponge out and drain off the excess before placing it in the coconut. Ensure an even covering of coconut all over. Place the sponge on a sheet of baking paper and repeat with the remaining sponge, replenishing the desiccated coconut as needed.

To finish the white chocolate, vanilla and mascarpone cream, transfer the chilled cream to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip until thick and smooth. Do not over whip or it may curdle. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a wide plain piping nozzle.

To assemble the lamington stack, put one sponge on a serving plate and put 1 tablespoon of jam in the centre. Use an angled palette knife to spread the jam evenly to within 1 cm (½ inch) of the edge of the sponge. Use more jam if needed, but don’t put too much on or it will drip out (unless you like it that way). Pipe a ring of cream around the sponge 1 cm from the edge, then cover the top with the remaining cream. Place the second sponge on top of the cream and press down slightly. Top the cake with fresh strawberries and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

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