Strawberry And Peach Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

100 g marzipan
1 tsp icing sugar
None None Red food colouring
24 None pink sugar pearls (approx.)
6 None eggs, separated
225 g caster sugar
90 g plain flour
90 g cornflour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
75 g flaked almonds
500 g mascarpone
4 leaves gelatine, soaked in cold water
250 ml whipping cream, whipped until forming stiff peaks
200 g frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed in a blender
420 g can peach slices, drained and cut into small pieces
100 g strawberry jam
100 g apricot jam

Preparation

Make the marzipan flowers the day before you make the cake. Knead the marzipan and powdered sugar together and color pink with red food coloring. Cut into 3 equal pieces and, on a work surface dusted with powdered sugar, form 3 rolls, each about 1/3 inch in diameter.
Cut each roll into 6 equal slices. Roll 3 slices into balls. Roll out the remaining 15 slices to thin ovals. Form 5 ovals into a flower, pinching the petals together in the center. Press a ball into the hollow. Repeat with the remaining marzipan so you have 3 flowers. Dampen a pastry brush with water and gently brush away any powdered sugar on the flowers. Gently press sugar pearls around the edges of the center balls. Allow to dry overnight.
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 400\u00b0F. Line the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan with parchment. Beat the egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tbsp cold water and a pinch of salt until stiff peaks begin to form. Beat in the egg yolks one by one. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder; gradually fold dry ingredients into the egg mixture.
Spoon 1/3 of the mixture into the pan and sprinkle with 1/3 of the almonds. Bake for 10 mins. Turn out on to a wire rack and allow to cool. Clean the pan and repeat twice with the remaining egg mixture and almonds.
Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the mascarpone and 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp sugar. Gently melt gelatin in a saucepan over low heat (if using gelatin leaves, gently squeeze out the excess moisture first). Stir 2 tbsp of the mascarpone mixture into the gelatine, then stir the gelatin mixture back into the mascarpone. Fold in the whipped cream. Divide the mixture in half and fold the strawberry puree into one half and the peach chunks into the other. Chill both for 10 mins.
To assemble: Place 1 cake on a cake plate and spread with the strawberry jam, followed by the strawberry cream. Top with the second cake layer and spread with the apricot jam, followed by the peach cream. Top with the last cake layer and press down gently. Chill for at least 3 hours.
Just before serving, decorate with the marzipan flowers.