Il Cucinologo
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Strawberry Panna Cotta Cake

17/11/2023

The strawberry panna cotta cake is a delicious and refreshing dessert, perfect for spring or summer. Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients

For the base:

  • 200 g digestive-style biscuits
  • 100 g melted butter

For the panna cotta:

  • 500 ml fresh liquid cream
  • 150 g sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 g gelatine sheets

For the strawberry gelatin:

  • 300 g fresh strawberries
  • 70 g sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 5 g gelatine sheets

Method

Base:

  1. Finely crush the biscuits in a food processor or place them in a bag and crush with a rolling pin until they resemble breadcrumbs.
  2. Melt the butter and mix it with the crushed biscuits.
  3. Line the base of a cake tin with baking paper and spread the biscuit mixture, pressing firmly to create a compact base. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.

Panna cotta:

  1. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes.
  2. In a saucepan, gently heat the cream with the sugar and vanilla without bringing it to the boil.
  3. Squeeze out the soaked gelatine and add it to the warm cream mixture, stirring until fully dissolved.
  4. Pour the panna cotta over the chilled biscuit base and allow to cool. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Strawberry gelatin:

  1. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes.
  2. Blend the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.
  3. Warm a portion of the strawberry mixture and dissolve the squeezed gelatine in it, then combine with the remaining strawberry mixture.
  4. Gently pour the strawberry gelatin over the set panna cotta, taking care not to disturb the surface.
  5. Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours to allow the gelatin to set.

Trivia

Panna cotta, whose name literally means “cooked cream”, is a traditional dessert from Piedmontese cuisine. Originally served plain or paired with chocolate or caramel, panna cotta has become a blank canvas for seasonal fruit flavours over the years, as in this delicious strawberry variation.