You can usually find blackcurrants in season at good greengrocers and pick-your-own farms, or buy them frozen online. If you’ve had no luck, then this recipe also works well with frozen mixed berries.
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Yields:
10 serving(s)
Prep Time:
45 mins
Cook Time:
50 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 35 mins
Cal/Serv:
390
Ingredients
FOR THE SPONGE
40g
butter melted, plus extra to grease
125g
plain flour, plus extra to dust
125g
caster sugar
4
medium eggs
1tsp.
vanilla extract
Icing sugar to dust, optional
FOR THE MOUSSE
500g
blackcurrants, fresh or frozen, see intro
6
sheets platinum-grade leaf gelatine, we used Dr. Oetker
3
medium egg whites *
150g
caster sugar
300ml
double cream
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Lightly grease a 20.5cm springform tin, line the base with baking parchment and dust the sides with flour (tap out excess). For the sponge, in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, beat the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla using a handheld electric whisk for 7-8min, or until pale, thick and moussey.
Step 2Remove bowl from heat, trickle in the melted butter and gently fold in using a large metal spoon. Sift over the flour and fold in, trying to keep in as much air as possible. Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 25min, or until risen, golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack, carefully release spring and leave to cool completely.
Step 3For the mousse, in a medium pan, cook the blackcurrants with 2tbsp water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-12min, or until the berries have softened and released lots of juice.
Step 4Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water for 5min. Next, transfer the cooled sponge to a board. Clean and dry the tin and reassemble. Grease and line the base and sides with fresh baking parchment. Using a large, serrated knife, halve the sponge horizontally to make 2 discs. Place the top sponge in the tin (cut-side up) and press down to help spread it to the edges of the tin. Set the second sponge aside.
Step 5Whizz the blackcurrants with a stick blender (or in a blender) until fairly smooth, then strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl, working the pulp well (discard any remaining pulp in sieve). You should have about 400ml purée. Lift out gelatine (squeeze out excess water) and stir into the warm purée to dissolve.
Step 6In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually beat in the sugar to make a stiff and glossy meringue. In a separate large bowl, beat the cream until it holds soft peaks. Add the blackcurrant purée and beat briefly to combine. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold the meringue into the cream mixture until combined.
Step 7Spoon the mousse into the tin and gently smooth to level. Lay on the remaining sponge (cut-side down), pressing down gently to stick to the mousse. Cover the tin with clingfilm and chill for at least 6hr (ideally overnight), until set.
Step 8To serve, remove the sides of the tin and gently invert the cake on to a flat plate. Peel off the bottom lining paper, then carefully flip back on to a cake stand or serving plate. Dust with icing sugar (see GH TIP) and serve in slices.
GH TIP To get this pretty pattern on your cake, place a square-holed wire rack on top of the sponge before dusting liberally with icing sugar. Lift off carefully.
GET AHEAD Prepare to end of step 7 up to 3 days ahead. Complete recipe to serve.
*PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS AND THE ELDERLY ARE ADVISED TO EAT PARTIALLY COOKED EGGS ONLY IF THEY HAVE THE BRITISH LION STAMP.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
