Fast Recipes

Tipsy cakes

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast dessert recipe for tipsy cakes

By Sophia Young
  • Serves 8
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Tipsy cakes

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 125 ml sweet sherry
  • 4 1.5cm-thick slices of brioche (120gm, about ½ loaf), crusts removed, quartered, or sponge cake
  • 250 gm strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • 4 amaretti, finely chopped
  • 60 gm flaked almonds, toasted
  • 200 ml pouring cream, softly whipped
Custard
  • 800 ml milk
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 110 gm caster sugar (½ cup)

Method

Main
  • 1
    For custard, place milk, scraped seeds from vanilla bean and bean in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until well combined, then gradually pour in milk mixture until well combined. Return mixture to same pan and stir over low-medium heat until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Transfer to a bowl, discard vanilla bean, cover closely with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, or for up 2 days.
  • 2
    Place sugar in a bowl, add 2 tbsp boiling water, stir until dissolved, then stir in sherry. Place brioche in a flat dish, drizzle with sherry mixture, turning to soak completely.
  • 3
    Place a piece of brioche in the base of a 150ml glass or small bowl, scatter with some strawberries, then pour in approximately ¼ cup custard, sprinkle with a little chopped amaretti and almonds. Top with 2 pieces of brioche, some strawberries, cream and nuts. Repeat with remaining brioche, strawberries, custard, amaretti and almonds, then serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Notes

Drink Suggestion: Unsmoked black tea such as China keemun.