Strawberry and Sea Buckthorn Cake

November 1, 2021 By Olga Babitskaya

Prep Time: 1H

Cook Time: 1H

Cuisine: Fusion

I have a serious soft spot for sea buckthorn. That distinctive, tangy sourness is addictive—I find myself adding it to everything from tea and cakes to my morning cottage cheese. If you appreciate those bright, zesty flavors, this sea buckthorn cake is going to become a fast favorite.

Ingredients for this Delicious Sea Buckthorn Cake

Here is everything you need to get started with the recipe.

For the Fluffy Sponge Cake Layers:

• 4 eggs
• 270g sugar
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 60g butter, melted
• 150g milk, warm
• 240g all-purpose flour
• 40g cornstarch
• 10g baking powder

For the Tangy Sea Buckthorn Cream Filling:

• 75g sea buckthorn puree (or 110g frozen berries)
• Zest of 1 orange
• 20g orange juice
• 40g sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3g cornstarch
• 50g butter

For the Bright Sea Buckthorn Sauce:

• 35g sea buckthorn puree
• 10g orange juice
• 5g orange zest
• Vanilla
• 20g sugar
• 2g cornstarch

For the Sweet Strawberry Mousse:

• 120g strawberries
• 40g sugar
• 2g cornstarch
• 100g heavy cream (33%)
• 5g gelatin
• 25g water

For the Soaking Syrup:

• 40g strawberries
• 20g sugar
• 60g water
• Vanilla
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the Rich Cake Cream:

• 430g mascarpone
• 85g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 180g heavy cream

For the Smooth Leveling Cream:

• 220g white chocolate
• 100g heavy cream
• 50g butter
• 50g mascarpone

Step-by-Step Instructions to Bake Your Sea Buckthorn Cake

Follow the steps below to put this dessert together.

1. Prepare the Sponge Cake

1. Start by beating the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until the mixture is nice and fluffy.
2. Pour in the melted butter and warm milk, stirring gently to combine.
3. Sift in the flour, starch, and baking powder. Carefully fold these dry ingredients in with a spatula just until the batter comes together.
4. Divide the batter evenly between two 17 cm baking pans.
5. Bake at 165°C (330°F) for approximately 45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Once the cakes have cooled, carefully slice each sponge into 3 layers. Wrap them in cling film and pop them in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

2. Make the Sea Buckthorn Cream

1. If you are using frozen berries, make sure to thaw, puree, and strain them first to get rid of the seeds.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the cornstarch, orange zest, and juice.
3. Bring the puree to a boil in a small saucepan.
4. Slowly whisk the hot puree into the yolk mixture to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble.
5. Pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan. Cook it for another minute after it starts boiling, stirring constantly until it thickens up.
6. Take it off the heat, toss in the butter, and use an immersion blender to make it perfectly smooth.
7. Transfer the cream to a pastry bag and let it cool completely.

3. Create the Sea Buckthorn Sauce

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a pan, blend until smooth, and cook for 1 minute after it reaches a boil, stirring as you go.
2. Pour the sauce into a pastry bag and set it aside to cool.

4. Prepare the Strawberry Mousse

1. Get two 14 cm ring molds ready by wrapping the bottoms tightly with cling film.
2. Soak the gelatin in water according to the package directions to let it bloom.
3. Puree the strawberries with the sugar and cornstarch, then cook the mixture for 1 minute while stirring.
4. Stir the bloomed gelatin into the hot strawberry puree until it’s completely dissolved.
5. Whip the heavy cream until you have soft peaks, then gently fold it into the cooled strawberry mixture.
6. Pour the mousse into your prepared molds and freeze until it sets firmly.

5. Cake Assembly

1. For the syrup, mix all the ingredients together, heat briefly for about 15 seconds to ensure the sugar dissolves, and let it cool down.
2. To make the main cream, beat the mascarpone with powdered sugar until smooth. Pour in the heavy cream and lemon juice, beating until the texture is fluffy.
3. For the leveling cream, melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream (a double boiler or microwave works fine). In a separate bowl, beat the butter and mascarpone until light. Gradually incorporate the chocolate mixture and beat again until fluffy. Cool this mixture to about 19-20°C and whip it one last time before frosting.
4. Assemble the cake by stacking the sponge layers and adding the soaking syrup, main cream, sea buckthorn cream, sauce, and the frozen strawberry mousse insert according to the design you prefer.
5. Finally, cover the assembled cake with the leveling cream to get a perfectly smooth finish.