Strawberry Tunnel Cake

It was for Lydia's Birthday in 2015.

My MIL was around and will be flying off two days before her actual birthday. So, I made a 'less-cream' cake to suit the taste buds of the elderly family members. I brought the cake over to my in law's that night.

My kids didn't quite enjoy it. They said, there's not enough cream. Kids.... they love all things with cream.
But the elderly family members all enjoyed it and said, just enough of cream, not too much. LOL.

The tunnel came as a surprise for everybody as no one saw how I made this cake. They thought it's just a plain ole chiffon cake with strawberries in the center.

I couldn't find the sliced cake pic in my phone back up and once I find it, I will post it.

Strawberry Tunnel Cake

by WendyinKK


Yolk Batter
5 egg yolks (Grade B)
60gm corn/vegetable oil
60gm water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
100gm plain flour
25gm corn starch
1/4 tsp baking powder

Meringue
5 eggs whites (Grade B)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
80gm sugar

Filling
Dairy cream, amount as needed (I used around 250ml). Whipped and lightly sweetened
Strawberries

1. Prepare a 9 inch Savarin pan. Do not grease the pan.
2. Preheat oven at 180C.
3. Mix egg yolks, vanilla extract, oil and sugar together. Then add in water. Mix.
4. Sift flour together with cornstarch and baking powder into the yolk mixture. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
5. Prepare meringue. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks. Gradually add in sugar and beat the meringue until stiff (hooked).
6. Add 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk batter and fold. Add another 1/3 of the egg whites and fold.
7. Pour the yolk batter into the remaining meringue and scrape the yolk batter bowl clean. Fold the batter until even with quick strokes.
8. Pour the batter into the savarin and level.
9. Put into the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 40 minutes or until done.
10. Turn the cake upside down and let it cool down on a wire rack.
11. Carefully remove cake from pan by pressing the sides or you can scrape with a flexible thin plastic spatula.

Assembly
1. Place cake flat side up onto a plate. With a sharp small serrated knife, cut the cake to create a `canyon'.
2. Fill the 'canyon' halfway up with whipped cream. Put in strawberries, pointy side down. Top with more cream until 90% full.
3. Cover the 'canyon' with trimmed pieces of cake.
4. Place a cake board over the cake and by holding the plate and cake board together, flip it over.
5. Decorate the cake if preferred. I filled up the center with strawberries and dusted with icing sugar and grated chocolate to keep it light.
6. Keep the cake covered well with plastic wrap and chill until serving time. The cake will dry out if not covered well as the surface is not frosted.