1 pt Strawberries, hulled
1 ts Cornstarch
1/4 c Sugar
Red food coloring (op.)
2 tb Cointreau
3 c Icing sugar
1/3 c Soft butter
1 ts Vanilla extract
1/2 c Red currant jelly
French Sponge Layers,
Recipe Follows
Orange Butter Cream,
Recipe Follows
1/2 c Coarsely chopped pistachio
Nuts
1 pt Perfect whole strawberries,
Hulled
Wash and cut up l pint hulled strawberries into a flat dish. Mash
with a fork until well broken up. You should have about l cup mashed
strawberries. Set aside 1/4 cup and bring rest to a boil in a small
saucepan. Thoroughly combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup sugar and
gradually stir into boiling berries. Stir just until clear and
slightly thickened, then remove from heat. Add a little red food
coloring if desired. Stir in half the Cointreau and let stand at room
temperature until needed for filling. Combine icing sugar, butter,
vanilla and enough of the 1/4 cup strawberry pur?e to make an icing
that is easy to spread. Beat until fluffy and set aside. Heat red
currant jelly and remaining Cointreau over lowest heat until jelly
melts. Keep just barely warm until needed. Split cake layers to make
4 thin layers. Put first layer on a serving plate. Spread with half
of Orange Butter Cream. Top with second layer and spread with
strawberry filling. Top with third layer and spread with remaining
butter cream. Top with last layer. Chill for about l0 min. if butter
cream seems very soft. Set aside about 1/2 cup strawberry icing and
thinly ice sides of cake with part of remainder. Press pistachios
into icing. Turn a 5-inch plate or saucer upside down in centre of
top layer and ice all around it with rest of strawberry icing. This
will make a nice, even iced edge about 2 inches wide. Lift plate or
saucer with tip of knife and remove. Fill un-iced centre of the cake
with the whole strawberries. Spoon some of the melted currant jelly
over each berry, letting it run down to cover the berry and fill the
spaces around it. Put the 1/2 cup icing in a decorating bag or tube
with a rosette tip and pipe small rosettes all around strawberry
centre to cover joint between icing and glazed berries. Chill until
shortly before serving time.Serves 12.
Yields
12 Servings