Family dinners are always a wonderful time. You get to share stories, catch up, create memories and eat delicious food. Do you want to add extra WOW factor to your next family dinner? Then create this easy and super light fruit and cream gateau.

What you’ll need…

For the sponge:

8-9 tbsp flour (plain white)
1/4 tsp salt
8 eggs (separated)
6 tbsp cane sugar
2 tbsp yoghurt (full fat)
2 sachets vanilla sugar
1 pinch Himalayan salt (pink)
6-8 tbsp oil

For the filling:

400 ml whipping cream
1 sachet vanilla sugar
400 ml crème fraîche (full fat)
4 tbsp unrefined cane sugar (or icing sugar)
1/2 lemon (its zest and juice)

Extras needed: 400-500 g fruits (canned or fresh) and 100 g of dark melted chocolate

The process…

Step 1: Prepare your chosen oven dish by lightly greasing it with butter or with baking paper. Then preheat your oven to 180C.
Step 2: Separate all your eggs into yolks and white. Keep the yolks in a small bowl as you will need them for later.
Step 3: Use a freestanding mixer to mix the egg whites with salt for two minutes, then gradually add the vanilla sugar and sugar while still whizzing. Once you’ve finished with the sugar, add in the yolks whilst still mixing away.
Step 4: When finished with the egg yolks, begin to drizzle in the oil.
Step 5: Use a spatula to fold in the flour. To avoid losing air, don’t over mix.
Step 6: Pour the mixture into your prepared oven dish. Place it in the oven and bake for around 40 minutes (use a toothpick to test if it’s cooked fully.)
Step 7: While your sponge is cooling off, begin preparing the cream by whisking the sugar, cream, lemon juice and vanilla together. Whisk the creams alone first for a while, then start adding sugar slowly until firm.
Step 8: Chop up your desired fruits and put half aside for decoration. Canned fruits and fresh are good.
Step 9: Let the sponge cool, then cut into two or three layers. Place the first layer onto the serving plate.
Step 10: By using a palette knife, spread the cream over the first layer and sprinkle some chopped fruit and place the second layer on top.
Step 11: Repeat this step depending on the number of layers you wish to have.
Step 12: Finally, decorate with your fruit and melt your chocolate over the cake. Allow it to rest for an hour to allow the fruit juices to absorb for extra flavour.

Then tuck in and watch your family be impressed!

If you’d like to enhance your cake making skills, then check out our cake making classes at Pearl’s Creations today.