Gateaux1

Instructions

You’ll need some kind of a bottom-less mold. I have two squares measuring 10 x 10 x 4.5 cm (4 x 4 x 1.8 inches). I cut my cakes in half to get four rectangles. If you don't have squares, you could use a circle mold or even make the cakes in wine glasses.

1. For the mousse: Take 250 grams of strawberries and roughly chop them using a food processor or a knife. Put them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. Measure out 3 grams of agar agar, put it in a separate bowl and cover with ⅓ cup of hot water.
2. For the jelly: Take the remaining 400 grams of strawberries and roughly chop them. Place them in a third bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt. Measure out 2 grams agar agar and put it in a separate bowl with ¼ cup hot water.
3. Leave all four bowls for 30 minutes, stirring the strawberries occasionally.
4. In a food processor, chop the dates and graham biscuits to a powder. Press the mixture into the bottom of your molds.
5. Take your mousse strawberries and strain the juice into a small pot, pressing the pulp to get most of the liquid out. Simmer the juice over medium heat until thick, syrupy and reduced by half. Meanwhile, blend the remaining pulp in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return to the bowl and add the strawberry syrup and coconut cream. Add sugar or other sweetener to taste, for me 2 teaspoons was enough.
6. Put your jelly strawberries in a bowl lined with cheesecloth or some other material you can strain through. Use your hands to squeeze out all the juice you can into the bowl. I got about 1 cup of juice from this. Add sugar or other sweetener to taste to the juice. The remaining pulp can be blended and added to the mousse strawberries.
7. Whip the aquafaba into the consistency of firm peak egg whites using the whisk attachment of an immersion blender or a balloon mixer.
8. Put the 3 grams agar agar with its ⅓ cup water into a small pot over medium heat. Warm it gently, while stirring, until the agar agar has dissolved and formed a thick gel. For flakes or strands this could take 10 -15 minutes. For powder it only takes a couple of minutes. Warm your mousse strawberries slightly in the microwave and mix through the agar agar gel. Now gently fold through the whipped aquafaba a few tablespoons at a time. Pour the mousse into your molds and place in the fridge to set.
9. Put the 2 grams agar agar and its ¼ cup water into the pot over medium heat. Dissolve it in the same way as previously. Pour in your cup of strawberry juice for the jelly. Optional: Simmer gently for about 5 – 10 minutes to concentrate the flavour and get a more compact jelly. If you choose not to do this, you’ll have a thicker but softer jelly layer. It’s up to you. Pour the jelly into the molds and place in the fridge to set.
10. Once set, gently slip off the molds and serve your cakes however you would like!