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As a just-before-Pesach baby and the mom of a mid-Pesach little girl, the Pesach birthday cake holds a special place in my heart. Pick and choose the elements you want to create a “can’t-believe-it’s-Pesachdig” birthday cake! No matter when your birthday falls out, the Swiss meringue here is the superior nondairy topping for any cake. It’s lick-the-plate good. Don’t be scared of the double boiler. It’s really easy!
vanilla cake (your favorite recipe, or see recipe below)
strawberry sauce (recipe below)
Swiss meringue (recipe below)
sprinkles (recipe below)
3 egg whites
4–6 cups Gefen Confectioners’ Sugar
food coloring, optional
1 beet
9 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil, such as Gefen Cottonseed Oil
3/4 cup Gefen Potato Starch
1/4 cup orange juice
3 ounces (85 grams) Gefen Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (approximately 3/4 of the package)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 16-ounce (450-gram) bags frozen strawberries (no need to defrost)
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon Gefen Lemon Juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Line two large baking sheets with Gefen Parchment Paper.
Beat egg whites until foamy in a large bowl. With the beaters on low speed, slowly add one cup of confectioners’ sugar at time. Keep adding sugar until the mixture is thick enough that when you run a finger through it, it leaves an indentation that doesn’t refill itself.
If using food coloring, add it now. Because the food coloring is liquid, you may need to add a few more tablespoons of sugar.
Place mixture in a ziplock bag and cut the tiniest piece off one of the bottom corners. Pipe long, thin rows onto the baking sheet. Once it’s all been piped, place the baking sheets in a dry area to dry out overnight.
The next morning, use your hands to crunch up the dried out lines, creating the iconic sprinkle shape. (If you find this part the funnest, we can be friends.) Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place until using.
To make food coloring, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
Wash the beet very well and wrap it in foil. Bake for about one hour. Peel while hot.
Pulse in a food processor until coarsely grated. Wearing gloves, pick up some of the mixture and squeeze over a bowl. Strain juice, and voilà, food coloring!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-centimeter) or 10-inch (26-centimeter) pan and line with parchment paper.
Beat egg whites until stiff. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar, and oil until well-mixed. Add potato starch, orange juice, pudding mix, and salt to the egg yolk mixture. Beat until just incorporated.
Take one large scoop of stiff egg whites and fold it in. Once incorporated, add remaining egg whites and fold in gently. Pour into prepared pan and bake for one hour.
Cool completely.
This cake can be prepared in advance and frozen. Just wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
Place all ingredients in a pot. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove cover, stir, and replace cover. Cook on medium-low heat for another 20 minutes.
Remove cover and stir again, using the back of a fork to mash strawberries as much as possible. If the strawberries are still firm, cover and give it another five to seven minutes.
Once strawberries are mashed, cook mixture over medium heat, stirring every few minutes to prevent burning, until the mixture has reduced and become thick and jammy, about 30–35 minutes.
Remove from stove and allow to cool. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days, or place in the freezer.
Place a small pot filled with three inches (eight centimeters) of water over medium heat. Place a medium-large heat-proof bowl over the pot. Remove and make sure the bottom of the bowl is dry. If it’s wet, pour some water out of the pot. The water should not directly touch the bottom of the bowl.
Add egg whites, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Place over the pot of lightly simmering water. Using a spoon or spatula, stir gently until all the sugar is dissolved into the egg whites, about four to six minutes. (You can test it by removing a bit of the mixture and rubbing it between your fingers to make sure it’s smooth.)
Remove the bowl from the pot and beat on low speed with electric beaters until the mixture is foamy and airy. Gradually increase speed to high and beat until the mixture is very thick, white, and glossy. Now you’re ready to frost.
To assemble the cake, spread the strawberry sauce between two cake layers. Cover the cake completely with Swiss meringue and sprinkle with sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
Styling and photography by Chay Berger. Food prep by Leah Hamoui.
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