I created this recipe two years ago. For a magazine. It's about time to post it.

It is a bit fiddly and it requires two cake tins or rings (20cm and 23cm) if you want to achieve the look.
But it is seriously tasty, looks effective and can be prepared about a week in advance.
Ideal in this hot weather we're having.

Frozen strawberry torte


1 sponge bottom, about a centimetre thick

Zabaglione layer
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
90ml brandy
1 vanilla pod
2 gelatine sheets
200ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar

Strawberry layer
300g strawberries
2 tbsp liquid glucose
2 gelatine sheets

Mousse layer
3 egg whites
5 tbsp sugar
300ml double cream
2 tbsp icing sugar
400g strawberries
4 gelatine sheets


Make the zabaglione by whisking egg yolks with brandy, sugar and vanilla over a water bath until it turns into a pale fluffy foam. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water, squeeze and add to the egg foam. Mix until gelatine has melted. Take off the heat and let cool, stirring occasionally.
Whisk double cream to soft peaks with icing sugar. Fold into cooled zabaglione.

Take the biscuit sponge and using the 20cm cake ring cut it into a circle to fit inside the ring. Before fitting it in there, take some cling film and wrap the base so no liquids could seep out. Now place the sponge inside the tin/ring. Pour the zabaglione on top. Tap the tin to even the surface of the zabaglione. Cover and place in the freezer.

While it hardens, prepare the strawberry purée. Take a quarter of the purée, mix it with liquid glucose and heat to 50C in the microwave. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water, squeeze and add to the heated purée. Stir until melted. Add to the rest of the purée and let cool.

Take the cake tin from the freezer and pour a layer of purée. Cover and put it back into the freezer.

Take the 23cm cake tin/ring and wrap with cling film.

Lastly, prepare the strawberry mousse.
For that, purée the strawberries. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water. Heat a quarter of the purée, squeeze the gelatine sheets and mix into the warm purée until melted. Add to the rest of the purée. Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks with sugar and whisk double cream to soft peaks with icing sugar. Now stir all three parts together, the egg white, the cream and the purée.

Take the smaller tin from the freezer, the contents of which should now have hardened, and remove the ring. Place the frozen cake layers in the centre of the larger tin. Pour the mousse on top, ensuring that the gap between the tin and the frozen layers gets correctly filled, tap the tin very carefully.
Cover and place in the freezer.

It can then be served after a couple of hours of freezing or left in the freezer for up to a week (just place in the regular fridge about an hour before serving).