Strawberry and Matcha Petit Gâteau

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries300g
• Caster sugar (for maceration)30g
• Matcha powder (ceremonial grade)12g
• Eggs4 count
• Caster sugar (for sponge)120g
• Plain flour100g
• Butter, melted40g
• White chocolate200g
• Heavy cream (35%)300g
• Whole milk100g
• Gelatin sheets (silver)6g
• Cream cheese150g
• Icing sugar40g
• Strawberry purée150g
• Gelatin sheets (silver, for insert)3g
• Glucose syrup20g
• White chocolate (for glaze)150g
• Condensed milk100g
• Neutral glaze150g
• Red food colouring (oil-soluble)2g
• Matcha powder (for glaze tint)3g
• Freeze-dried strawberry powder10g
• Micro herbs or small strawberry slices (to garnish)as needed

Method

1. 1.Halve 200g strawberries, toss with 30g sugar, and macerate 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. 2.Make the matcha sponge (génoise): whisk eggs and 120g sugar over a bain-marie to 40°C, then beat on high until pale and tripled in volume.
3. 3.Sift flour and 12g matcha together, fold gently into the egg mixture in two additions. Fold in melted butter last.
4. 4.Spread onto a lined 30×20cm tray and bake at 180°C for 10–12 minutes. Cool completely, then cut six 7cm rounds.
5. 5.Make the strawberry insert: bloom 3g gelatin in cold water. Warm purée and glucose to 60°C, melt in gelatin, pour 5mm deep into six 5cm silicone round moulds. Freeze solid.
6. 6.Make the matcha white chocolate mousse: bloom 6g gelatin in cold water. Heat milk to 80°C, whisk in remaining 12g… wait — use the 12g matcha already accounted for in sponge. Add 3g matcha powder to warm milk instead for the mousse layer.
7. 7.Melt 200g white chocolate into the hot matcha milk. Stir in softened gelatin and cream cheese. Cool to 28°C.
8. 8.Whip 300g heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold into the matcha–white chocolate base in two additions.
9. 9.Assemble in six 7cm ring moulds (acetate-lined): pipe a layer of mousse, press in a frozen strawberry insert, add macerated strawberries, top with a sponge round. Freeze overnight.
10. 10.Make the mirror glaze: heat neutral glaze, condensed milk, and glucose to 80°C. Pour over chopped 150g white chocolate, emulsify with a stick blender. Divide — tint half red with food colouring, leave half pale green with 3g matcha. Cool both to 34°C.
11. 11.Unmould frozen cakes onto a glazing rack. Pour red glaze over two-thirds of each cake, matcha glaze over the remaining third to create a split effect. Let drips set 2 minutes.
12. 12.Transfer to serving plates. Dust with freeze-dried strawberry powder and garnish with micro herbs and thin strawberry slices.