G&T Cake

Directions

1. Make the cake: Separate egg whites and egg yolks when eggs are cold. Cover egg whites with a cloth and allow to rest overnight at room temperature. If pinched for time, rest for ~3 hours. Whisk together the butter and granulated sugar - Dice the butter into ½” cubes and smash into sugar with a flat spatula, then whisk until soft and creamy. The “creamy” mixture will still be granular. Mix the flour, poppy seeds, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add this to the creamed butter in 3 increments, incorporating fully each time. The result will look crumbly. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line your choice of baking tray with parchment paper. Aluminum foil also works. Whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla, and milk in a separate bowl, then add to the main mix in 3 increments, fully incorporating each time. The batter will finally come together and will have a sticky consistency. Bake for 35 minutes at first, and then incrementally add more time, while paying attention to the colour and consistency of the cake. This will prevent over-baking by giving you better control, regardless of the oven & cake pan used. The cake is ready when it has a golden-brown exterior and a skewer or butter knife comes out clean when pierced into the cake. Let it cool completely.
2. Make the whipped cream: Infuse heavy cream with the spirits and the citrus rinds. Cover and chill overnight, or at least 4 hours if pinched for time. In a separate bowl, sprinkle gelatin on water and let it sit for a few minutes. Microwave mixture until gelatin is fully dissolved. Let it cool. Strain cream through a sieve to discard solids. Add sugar and whip till soft peaks start to form. Evenly add in the gelatin mixture and whip until stiff peaks form. Lastly, add in the lemon juice and whip some more to blend in the juice uniformly. Refrigerate whipped cream until it is to be used on the cake.
3. Make the meringue: Dry the citric zests: either microwave for 30 seconds to a minute incrementally, or leave out at room temperature till brittle, or sun dry. Blitz or crush all to make a fine powder. Preheat oven to 200 F. Line your choice of baking tray with parchment paper. Aluminum foil also works. In a clean mixing bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and citric powder and whip to form soft peaks. Add lemon juice gradually and whip to form stiff peaks. The mixture should look glossy. Spread meringue into a cake tin or mold that matches the shape of the cake. Bake for 60 minutes at first, and increment as needed, till the meringue is golden and crackly. Let the meringue rest inside the oven for at least 30 minutes after baking, for crisp texture. Depending on how many layers you aim for, either bake the entire meringue batter at once, or in batches.
4. Assembly time: Add alternating layers of cake and meringue, top off with the whipped cream, and sprinkle dried strawberry and citric dust over it. Enjoy!