Justina’s Fraisier Cake

Sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F/gas mark 4
2. Mix the vegetable oil with the melted margarine and set aside.
3. Combine the soya milk with the vinegar and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken.
4. Sieve flour, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl.
5. Mix the plant milk and the oil mixture, add lemon zest.
6. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool on a rack.
7. Use serving rings to cut out sponge discs. Slice the sponges in half.
8. Prepare strawberries by selecting same size berries and slicing them thinly. Reserve 6 whole strawberries.

Cream filling

1. Prepare the cream by mixing sugar, custard powder, vanilla extract and agar agar powder in a small amount of almond milk until it forms a smooth paste.
2. Boil the rest of the almond milk and add the paste. Heat while whisking constantly.
3. Once it comes to a full boil, remove from the heat and add the coconut oil. Stir until smooth.
4. Transfer the hot cream to a large bowl and whisk to release the heat.
5. Continue whisking every so often until the custard is slightly cooler than body temperature.
6. Place in the fridge to cool.
7. Meanwhile, whisk the vegan cream to stiff peaks and store in the fridge.
8. When the cream base has cooled to fridge temperature, gently fold in 1 cup of whipped vegan cream to incorporate.
9. Assemble using a serving ring and acetate. Place one sponge on the bottom. Arrange strawberries inside the ring. Place a whole strawberry in the middle and fill with the cream. Place another sponge on the top and gently press down. Repeat with all the desserts.
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the ring and the acetate before serving. Dust with icing sugar and top with a strawberry cut in half.

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