Berries & Lemon Meringue Mousse Cake:

Equipment:

1. Mousse cake ring 16cm (d) x 6cm (h), lined with an acetate strip, and sealed with plastic wrap at the bottom.The cake ring is placed on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Mousse cake ring 12cm (d) x 2.5cm (h),sealed with plastic wrap at the bottom (for the berries insert).The cake ring is placed on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Mousse cake ring 12cm (d) x 2.5cm (h),with sides lined with a strip of parchment paper, placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for the lemon meringue)
4. Round cake pan, 15cm (d) x 7.5cm (h), side and bottom linked with parchment paper.

Recipe: A single mousse cake, 16cm (d), 7.5cm (h).

Cake preparation and assembly instructions:

Berries Insert:

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the gelatin with water and refrigerate until use.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the fruit puree, berries, heavy cream and sugar, until the sugar completely dissolves, and the mixture simmers. It should be at a temperature of around 60C.
3. Melt the gelatine mixture in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and thoroughly mix to a clear liquid without any lumps. Add the bloomed gelatin to the berries mixture and stir it well to combine.
4. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking ring (size 12cm [d]), and freeze for 2-3 hours.

Lemony Sponge Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 175C (fan mode off), placing a baking rack at the lowest shelf inside your oven.
2. In a bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla, on medium-high speed, until the mixture is light and airy (about 3-4 minutes).
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs very well. Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture (8-10 parts).
4. Add in the vanilla extract and lemon juice, and mix to combine.
5. Sift the dry ingredients over the butter mixture: flour, baking powder, salt and almond meal, and fold them inside until 70% incorporated.
6. Fold the sour cream into the batter using a spatula, in 2-3 parts.
7. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, flatten it and bake for 24 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool down for 10 minutes before unmolding. Then let the cake cool down completely before proceeding with assembly.

Lemony Meringue:

1. Preheat your oven to 90C (fan mode on), placing a baking rack at the lowest shelf inside your oven.
2. In a bowl, using an electric handheld mixer, beat the egg whites and sugar to a very stiff meringue- start by beating on the slowest speed to ensure the sugar fully dissolved.
3. Add in the lemon zest and optional lemon oil and beat to combine.
4. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag (it does not need to be fitted with a piping tip), and pipe 1cm circle inside the prepared cake ring (12cm [d]). Any meringue leftover can be piped into small meringue kisses, to snack on later.
5. Bake for 2.5 hours (!). The meringue should puff to about 1.5cm high. Once done baking, the meringue could be left inside the turned off oven, or stored in an airtight container.

White Chocolate Mousse:

1. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the gelatin with water and refrigerate until use.
2. Into a narrow and tall container, add the white chocolate. Heat the milk to 80C. Pour it over the white chocolate and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the gelatine mixture in the microwave for about 10 seconds, and thoroughly mix to a clear liquid without any lumps.
3. Add the bloomed gelatin and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, and using an immersion blender, mix to a smooth consistency without any lumps. Allow to cool down to 33-34C.
4. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, and gradually fold it into the chocolate mixture. The mousse is to be used immediately, at temperature of 23-24C.

Assembly:

1. The cooled down sponge cake can be sliced to a cake layer that is 2cm thick and 12cm in diameter. Place it at the center of the prepared mousse cake ring (16cm [d]) lined with acetate. Pour the white chocolate mousse so that it covers just about 3mm above the sponge cake. Freeze the cake for 10 minutes to set.
2. After 10 minutes, carefully place the meringue on top of the sponge cake, so that its flat surface is facing upwards. Freeze for additional 5 minutes to set. Then, pour additional mousse until it reaches about half the height of the meringue, and freeze the cake for another 5 minutes to set.
3. Unmold the berries insert and place it on top of the meringue- pour more mousse until it reaches half the height of the berries insert. Freeze the cake for 5 minutes to set. Pour the entire amount of the mousse on top of the berries insert and freeze the cake for 6 hours, or preferably, overnight.
4. The next day, unmold the cake from its cake ring, transfer into a cake plate and you can pipe the decorations. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and decorate with a touch of berries powder.