Raspberry Soufflé Gateau

Have you ever stumbled across a recipe and viewed the picture and just knew you wanted to cook or bake it but you needed the right occasion to indulge your desire for this? I have been drooling over such a gateau now for a couple of weeks ever since Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett came into my possession. I first spotted this wonderful book on the lovely Margaret’s Blog at Kitchen Delights where she had baked a most gorgeous Easter cake from this book. If you haven’t visited Margaret’s Blog yet please do it’s a magnificent Blog, many thanks “M” for posting about this book!

I have company arriving and no better time to try out this recipe of Raspberry Soufflé Gateau. I have slightly adapted the recipe to suit my needs and also availability of ingredients. I aimed for a more in-depth adult taste by adding Chambord liqueur made from small black raspberries and other fruits and herbs combined with delicious honey. Now if this liqueur was good enough for King Louis XIV of France, it most certainly is for my guests. It did enhance the flavour of the raspberries for the couli as the main flavour for the Soufflé. I did have a little trouble turning the Gateau out due to not having a flat based tin, I must invest in one of those!

Note this recipe does contain raw egg whites if in any doubt use pasteurised egg whites.

I am posting my adapted recipe for this Raspberry Soufflé Gateau but you will find the original recipe in Cakes Galore by Valerie Barrett a very worthwhile book to have in your collection of cookbooks.

Adapted Raspberry Soufflé Gateau Recipe

Serves 10 – 12 slices

Ingredients
75g butter, melted
225g digestive biscuits, crushed
150g caster sugar
400g frozen raspberries
1 tbsp powdered gelatine
300 ml double cream
3 egg whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
200ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks
200g fresh raspberries
4 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
3 tbsp Chambord liqueur

You will also need a 20cm (8 in) springform tin preferably with a flat base and greased with a little butte.


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a mixing bowl add the crushed biscuits, 50g of the sugar and melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon to bring the crumbs together a little before placing in the base of the tin. Flatten the crumbs down with your hand and place the tin into the preheated oven to bake for 10 minute, then leave to cool on the side.

In a saucepan add the raspberries and the Chambord liqueur and simmer the fruit gently until the fruit seems soft. Place all the fruit into a food processor and whizz until the fruit is blitzed up. Sieve the raspberry juices over a bowl to remove the pips and discard them.

In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, add 3 tablespoons of hot water and sprinkle over the gelatine. Stir until this is dissolved and place into the raspberry couli and leave aside.

In another mixing bowl add the 300 ml double cream and whip until soft peak stage. Now fold this into the raspberry couli.

In a large grease free bowl add the egg whites and whisk until soft peak then whisk in the cream of tartar and the remaining sugar a little at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold the whisked egg whites into the raspberry couli and cream mixture. Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit base and place into the fridge for 2 – 3 hours or until set.

Remove the gateau from the tin very gently and place onto a serving plate. Place the 200ml double cream, whipped to soft peaks in a piping bag fitted with a rose nozzle and pipe around the top edge of the gateau. Pile fresh raspberries in the centre and spoon over the warmed jam over the raspberries.