Strawberry Hazelnut Slice

An old favourite from Australian Woman's Weekly Dinner Party Cookbook. I have only ever made this with a packet sponge cake mix - they don't seem to be available now so I will be making the sponge from scratch from now on. I don't follow the recipe when cutting the cake, I prefer to cut across to make two (almost) squares - the filling is thicker when cut this way. I also heat a metal skewer to melt a diamond pattern in the icing sugar on the top of the cake and put the halved strawberries into alternate diamonds.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• Cake

• 3  eggs, separated
• 1⁄2 cup caster sugar
• 1  cup self raising flour
• 3  tablespoons ground hazelnuts
• 3  tablespoons hot water
• 1  teaspoon butter
• 3  tablespoons Cointreau liqueur (or Grand Marnier)
• 2  teaspoons milk
• 2 -3  tablespoons icing sugar, extra
• 1  tablespoon  strawberry jam
• 1  teaspoon water

• Filling

• 300  g strawberries
• 1⁄2 cup icing sugar
• 3  teaspoons gelatin
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons water
• 300  ml  cream, thickened (double)

Directions

1. Cake - Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition, then add yolks, all at once, beat only until colour is evenly mixed through.
2. Sift flour several times, then sift flour and hazelnuts over egg mixture and fold through lightly.
3. Combine hot water and butter, stir until butter melts, pour all at once over mixture, fold through quickly and pour into greased and paper lined 28cm x 18cm (11" x 7") cake tin.
4. Bake in 190-200 deg C (375-400 deg F)oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and elastic to touch, turn immediately on to wire rack and cool.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut cake in half, horizontally and line tin with aluminium foil, place bottom half of cake in tin and sprinkle combined Cointreau and milk over cake.
6. Spread prepared filling over cake then place remaining half of cake on top, refrigerate until filling has set.
7. To serve, remove cake from refrigerator, remove from tin, trim edges, dust top with extra sifted icing sugar, heat jam and water in small saucepan, push through sieve (optional) and cut reserved strawberries in half (leaving leaves for colour), brush with glaze, decorate top of slice.
8. Filling - Reserve 4-6 strawberries for decoration, wash and hull remaining strawberries, place in blender, blend on high speed 30 seconds, then add icing sugar, blend further 30 seconds.
9. Sprinkle gelatine over water, stand over hot water until gelatine has disolved, cool slightly then whip cream until soft peaks form and stir in strawberry mixture then quickly fold in dissolved gelatine.