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Strawberry and Watermelon Cake

  • 17/10/2020
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Here’s my attempt to recreate Christopher Thé’s of Black Star Pastry’s beautiful Strawberry and Watermelon cake. Layers of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, watermelon, and topped with some strawberries, pistachio and dried rose petals. Such a stunning cake, perfect for all occasions.

Strawberry and Watermelon Cake

Channel the vibrant flavors of summer with this stunning Strawberry Watermelon Cake, inspired by the iconic creation of Black Star Pastry. Layers of delicate almond dacquoise embrace juicy watermelon slices and a fragrant rose-scented cream. Topped with fresh strawberries, pistachios, and a touch of elegance, this cake is a feast for the eyes and the palate.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine Australian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Almond Dacquoise:

  • 4 egg whites
  • 120 g icing sugar
  • 120 g ground almond
  • 100 g sugar

Watermelon:

  • Slices of about 1.2 cm thick
  • Rosewater
  • Sugar

Rose-scented cream:

  • 600 ml double cream (heavy cream)
  • 60 g sugar
  • 2 tbsp rose water
  • 1 tsp 5g gelatine
  • 1 tbsp water

Toppings:

  • 400 g strawberries
  • 1 tbsp slivered pistachios
  • 1 tbsp dried rose petals

Glaze:

  • 2 tbsp strawberry jam
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions
 

Prepare Dacquoise

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
  • Beat egg whites until foamy, gradually adding sugar until firm peaks form.
  • In a separate bowl, mix ground almonds and icing sugar, then fold into the beaten egg whites until the mixture has a lava-like consistency.
  • Spread the mixture on a lined baking tray or pipe the desired shape using a piping bag and nozzle and bake for 15 minutes.

Prepare Watermelon

  • Slice watermelon into 1.2 cm thick pieces to fit your mould.
  • Soak both sides with rose water and sugar, letting them macerate for at least 15 minutes then pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Make Rose-Scented Cream

  • Mix gelatine with water and let bloom for a few minutes.
  • Whip cream with sugar until firm peaks form.
  • Heat the bloomed gelatine in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir in rose water, and gently fold into the whipped cream then transfer to a piping bag.

Assemble the Cake

  • Assemble the cake using in the following order: start with a layer of dacquoise. Pipe a layer of rose-scented cream, add a watermelon slice, then pipe another layer of cream. Top with another layer of dacquoise, spread a thin layer of cream on top
  • Garnish the top with chopped strawberries, glaze, dry rose petals, and slivered pistachios
  • Refrigerate and let set for at least 3 hours before serving.
Keyword Cake, Pistachio, Rose Water, Strawberry, Watermelon

Did you make this recipe?

If you’ve made this recipe, remember to tag @mai.ng on Instagram www.maicookbook.com

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Mai

London-based kitchenware fanatic, brunch connoisseur & aspiring dumplings folding wizard. I like eating out and learning how to cook new dishes inspired by my restaurant visits. I'll be using this space to share with you fun recipes that worked for me!

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26 comments
  1. Christine says:
    26/03/2022 at 3:09 AM

    Hi Mai, can the almond dacquoise be made a day before and store in in an airtight container?

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      26/03/2022 at 3:42 AM

      Yes! I’d keep it somewhere dry, room temperature.

      Reply
      1. Christine says:
        26/03/2022 at 8:55 AM

        Thank you Mai!! 👍

        Reply
  2. Christine says:
    27/03/2022 at 8:14 PM

    Hi Mai, one more question. Is it possible to reduce both type of sugar? If yes, hoe much to reduce? Will it affect the texture of the Dacquoise?

    Cheers,

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      27/03/2022 at 8:34 PM

      Hi Christine, I wouldn’t because it would change the consistency of the meringue. It’s not going to be too sweet don’t worry 🤞🏻

      Reply
      1. Christine says:
        28/03/2022 at 3:12 AM

        🙏

        Reply
  3. May says:
    23/05/2023 at 6:20 AM

    Hi Mai, May i know what brand of rose water you use?

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      09/05/2024 at 10:57 PM

      I just used one from the brand KTC I found at the supermarket

      Reply
  4. Jodie says:
    18/12/2023 at 1:15 AM

    Hi Mai, can the dacquoise be made 5 days in advance?

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      12/03/2024 at 4:10 PM

      Hi there sorry for the really late reply, possible but you’ll need to keep it in somewhere dry so it doesn’t absorb moisture!

      Reply
  5. Kamz says:
    09/05/2024 at 9:12 AM

    Hi Mai ,

    For the almond dacquoise , it’s made in one baking tray right , for the layers do we have to cut it up ? So one piece for the bottom layer then another piece for the other layer , it’s not made in 2 different baking trays?

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      09/05/2024 at 10:56 PM

      I made using 1 baking tray – from the video as you can see I just piped the dacquoise, alternatively you can make a big tray and cut it out as well.

      Reply
      1. Kamz says:
        10/05/2024 at 5:52 AM

        Thank you Mai! Also can the cake be made without the mould? Would it hold its shape

        Reply
        1. Mai says:
          10/05/2024 at 10:49 AM

          Technically yes? But it’ll be messy to assemble and wouldn’t look great. Just use a round springform pan if you can’t find a square mould.

          Reply
  6. Kamz says:
    09/05/2024 at 9:26 AM

    Also Mai ,

    For the watermelon how much rose water and sugar is added onto them

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      09/05/2024 at 10:54 PM

      Hey there, ah sorry I think I just eyeballed that part… get enough sugar to cover all the surface of the watermelon, I’d say about 4 tablespoons and I used about 4 tablespoons of rose water as well. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  7. Lin says:
    19/05/2024 at 10:28 AM

    Hi can I use almond meal for the ground almond? Are they the same?

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      19/05/2024 at 11:06 AM

      I believe it’s the same – basically finely grounded almond

      Reply
  8. cici says:
    21/05/2024 at 1:01 PM

    Hi Mai, I’m looking to make one serving portion of this cake instead of the entire cake. Just wanted to ask about conversions, how much of each ingredient would you recommend I use instead?

    Reply
  9. Angie says:
    02/07/2024 at 10:46 AM

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! My watermelon had went bad sadly, so I ended up making a layer of cut strawberries in the middle instead. Everything else I followed your instructions exactly. My friends loved it so much they went back for seconds. And on top of taste it looks absolutely beautiful 😍

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      02/07/2024 at 11:03 AM

      So happy to hear 😍

      Reply
  10. Aaliyah says:
    19/07/2024 at 9:46 AM

    Hi Mai,

    My dacquoise keep’s completely deflating once I take it out of the iven. Any tips? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      13/08/2024 at 3:15 PM

      That’s odd, the dacquoise is usually quite dry and cooks almost like a meringue in the oven – perhaps it’s not cooked long enough, try adjusting the settings of your oven or leave it for a bit longer. When it’s dry enough it shouldn’t deflate.

      Reply
  11. Shaleeni Jayamani says:
    25/08/2024 at 11:25 PM

    Could I assemble this cake the night before? Will it still be OK in the morning? Or will everything be soggy

    Reply
    1. Mai says:
      26/08/2024 at 9:28 AM

      It should be fine the next day!

      Reply
  12. Gina says:
    24/03/2025 at 12:25 AM

    I made this cake the other day but found when cutting, the cream would smudge and not be stable enough to cut a perfect piece, is there anything I can do to make it more stable? I tried gelatine but still to no avail

    Reply

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