Ingredients:
- 250g (2 cups) plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 120 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) milk + 1tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Superfine sugar for sprinkling fillings
- 200 g (1 cup) whipping cream
- 70 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar (avoid if using sweetened whipping cream)
- 150 g mascarpone cheese
- 25 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 450 ml water
- 200 g fresh strawberries
- 3 Tahiti tea bags (Cockscomb flower, hibiscus flower, strawberry flavour crystal and liquid)
Method:
For ladyfingers biscuits (Eggless):
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C (160˚C Fan/350˚F). Lay the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour and baking powder. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.
- Add the vanilla, buttermilk and flour and lightly beat to mix in.
- Spoon into a piping bag and pipe out 3" long fingers.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- As soon as you take them out, sprinkle some caster sugar on them
For the fillings:
- Add the whipping cream in a large bowl. Whip or beat it until stiff peaks form.
- In another large bowl, add in the mascarpone. Beat it so that it’s creamy and soft. Add in the sugar gradually. Continue mixing it until well combined. Set it aside
-
Fold in the chilled whipped cream into the mascarpone cheese. Add vanilla and fold
For the tea: -
Make tea according to packet instructions and chill completely
Assembling the cake:
- Pour the tea into a plate. Dip the ladyfingers into the tea. Once it’s fully soaked, transfer it onto the pan. Lay them nicely so that the bottom of the pan is covered.
- Pour the cream mixture onto the first layer of ladyfingers. Level the surface with a spatula. Spread strawberry slices.
- Repeat the previous two steps for another layer.
- Once the layers have been achieved, refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.
- Spread strawberry slices on the cake and serve.