Eggless Caramel Cream Refrigerator Cakes with Roasted Strawberries … tiny delights!

“So many ideas, so much I want to do, so little time…

But I love the feeling of being inspired…”

I love the lines above. Saw them on twitter a few days ago, and they stayed in my mind. I went back to look for them today as a quote that is truly reflective of my feelings too!! Aran expressed it beautifully!

It’s now the end of the strawberry season here and I giggled with glee looking at my stash of strawberries I had lugged from my recent vacation. Sadly now with the mercury rising, they threaten to spoil very soon. If earlier I could safely keep them fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days, now even 2-3 days is cutting it fine. I had to look for ways to use them, preserve them!

I recalled having read about roasted strawberries somewhere, maybe at Canelle et Vanille, but could find only roasted rhubarb. It was back to old friend Mr Google, and I was happy to find a couple of link. Headed straight for Zoes beautiful blog Zoe Bakes (also the celebrated co-author of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a day), a place I knew I’d find something special!

I wasn’t disappointed! I found the most delectable recipe for roasted strawberries in balsamic vinegar, a promise to preserve this passionate berry for treats when the sun beats down madly. In her post (in the comments), Zoe suggests that these can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, else frozen for longer, and they still retain their shape and taste. Couldn’t get better than this …

By the time I entered the kitchen I had forgotten the measures of ingredients but had the basic idea in mind. Instead of using a lined cookie sheet, I roasted in an oven proof CorningWare dish, which ensured that all the precious juices were saved. The sugar had to be the ever charming vanilla sugar, and the aged balsamic from a precious jar that Asha from Fork Spoon Knife parcelled to me as part of a gift from NYC! (In there also was some delicious coffee which I used in Espresso Double Chocolate Biscotti) I loved it, the bottle, the packaging, the very idea! I’ve saved it long for something special, and this was IT! Thank you Asha…

To celebrate the gorgeous flavours that literally sang out of the bowl of the roasted strawberries, I just had to make some dessert petit fours! Made these little no bake cheesecakes as an experiment while the strawberries were chilling. They’re a sort of panna cotta but the cream is not cooked. I whipped up the cream with caramel syrup, and then added gelatin to stabilise it and help it set. Worked out fine as the dessert held it’s ground, and was very simple to demold too. Normally, my panna cotta is hardly ever as obliging to leave a mold cleanly, so I was delighted! The caramel added a special deep sweetness. NICE!!

Eggless Caramel Cream Refrigerator Cakes (No Bake)
Serves 4
70gms Homemade Graham Crackers or Digestive Biscuits, crushed
30gms melted unsalted butter
200ml low fat cream, chilled
2tbsps caramel syrup
1/2 tsp gelatin
1/2 quantity Roasted Balsamic Strawberries (recipe follows)
Method:
Mix the crushed biscuit crumbs with melted butter, divide equally between 4 X 3″ dessert rings. Press down firmly to make a base. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.
Soften gelatin over 1 tbsp of cold water in a small bowl, and place this bowl in a bigger bowl of luke warm water till the gelatin is clear. (If the weather is very warm, you might need to increase the gelatin by a 1/8 tsp)
Beat the cream and caramel to soft-medium peaks. Taste and increase the caramel if you like. I like to keep it mildly sweet.
Next pour in the clear gelatin beating constantly.
Divide the whipped cream mix between the 4 dessert rings, level with an offset spatula, or tap gently to level, and place in freezer, covered, to set for 30-45 minutes.
Now you can bring it back into the fridge and chill until ready to serve.
Demold gently, garnish with some grated chocolate. Top with 2 tbsps of chilled roasted balsamic strawberries, and some strawberry-balsamic reduction. ENJOY!!

Roasted Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar
Adapted from Zoe Bakes
450-500gms strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup vanilla sugar
1/8 cup aged balsamic vinegar
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C.
Place the strawberries in a glass baking dish.
Sprinkle over the vanilla sugar, followed by the aged balsamic vinegar. Mix gently.
Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Drain strawberries.Put the liquid into a sauce pan, and reduce to a thick concentrate. It will thicken a bit as it cools. Chill before use.
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥

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Comments

Anonymous says:

2010/04/10 at 4:05 pm

This looks wonderful, Deeba! I bet roasting the strawberries makes them heavy with flavor! It does when I roast veggies and tomatoes. Can't imagine why I've never tried it.
Is the caramel cream more like a panna cotta without the eggs?

Barbara says:

2010/04/10 at 4:05 pm

Sorry Deeba, that last comment was mine!

Lazaro Cooks! says:

2010/04/10 at 4:07 pm

Well-written informed strawberry post. Strawberry season was pushed back a bit in Florida due to our freakishly cold weather this year. But finally they've hit my kitchen in full juicy force. Have a great day. Cheers!

MaryMoh says:

2010/04/10 at 8:57 pm

Lovely dessert…mmm. Love to see or hear the word 'strawberry'…even better still to see strawberries. It's reminding me that the freezing cold winter is at last over and summer is coming

Sarah, Maison Cupcake says:

2010/04/10 at 11:46 pm

Great ideas for things to do with strawberries… I wonder whether you can dry them out on a low heat in the oven and then grind them up for macs?

Adele @ WillworkforBiltong says:

2010/04/10 at 11:53 pm

Those strawberries look divine. Thanks, Deeba.

Rosa's Yummy Yums says:

2010/04/11 at 12:49 am

What a divine dessert!

Cheers,

Rosa

Amanda says:

2010/04/11 at 2:37 am

This look positively delicious! I love how you always have the nature photos in with your food photos, so stunning!

Chow and Chatter says:

2010/04/11 at 3:37 am

wow great recipe and love the use of the balsamic vinegar

Chocolate Freckles says:

2010/04/11 at 5:27 am

These pictures are amazing and the dessert looks fantastic!!!! … I'll have to try this soon!!!!

sayantani says:

2010/04/11 at 6:49 am

I love strawberries in balsamic vinegar. the chilled cake looks fantastic. perfect for the summer time.

Cherine says:

2010/04/11 at 10:10 am

This is a FABULOUS dessert!!!

sucre en poudre says:

2010/04/11 at 12:08 pm

itt looks great!I love strawberries!
iza:)

bunkycooks says:

2010/04/11 at 12:30 pm

This dessert is beautiful! I love balsamic strawberries, so I look forward to preparing your recipe. The strawberries are plentiful right now, so it is a perfect time to do it.

Sonia (Nasi Lemak Lover) says:

2010/04/11 at 2:36 pm

Nice shots and nice dessert !

Priya says:

2010/04/11 at 2:37 pm

Stunning dessert, truly delectable..

Megan says:

2010/04/11 at 3:28 pm

I love the thought of roasting them. It will be strawberry season here in a few weeks and I cant wait!

Purnima says:

2010/04/11 at 4:18 pm

Looks fab..what a divine treat this must be!! Tks Deeba for a FSU Foodbloggie's-Soul-Uplifting dessert! U R.O.C.K!!

Bellini Valli says:

2010/04/11 at 4:26 pm

I love the idea of roasting the strawberries with balsamic vinegar. The vinegar just seems to heighten the flavour of the berries.

Barbara @moderncomfortfood says:

2010/04/11 at 4:32 pm

Strawberries are in season in my area, and I'm so looking forward to making this fabulous cake. As in right now…. Thanks for sharing.

suma says:

2010/04/11 at 4:41 pm

Delectable dessert Deeba! Have come across caramel cream for the first time… Yumm!

Natalie... says:

2010/04/11 at 8:15 pm

wow these look beautiful, i bet they tasted delicious too, they sure look it !

Spice says:

2010/04/12 at 3:55 am

Looks really tempting…… roasting strawberries wow…..that's something to try now….

Marcellina says:

2010/04/12 at 7:45 am

Beautiful dessert and exquisite photography!

Mowie @ Mowielicious says:

2010/04/12 at 2:00 pm

I love all this strawberry madness! Gorgeous Deeba!

Red Chillies says:

2010/04/12 at 6:41 pm

I am just awestruck with the beautiful pictures, the colors, presentation, not to mnetion your baking skills etc. You are very very talented Deeba.

Heavenly Housewife says:

2010/04/12 at 7:04 pm

Another stunner! Those strawberries look so vibrant and lovely.
I made caramel for the first time this week. Found it to be a bit tricky.
*kisses* HH

Rambling Tart says:

2010/04/12 at 10:55 pm

Deeba! You've outdone yourself! I'm completely entranced by this post, this recipe. So much deliciousness I don't even know where to begin!! What I DO know is that I will be making this. Soon. As soon as our strawberries are in season.

kamran siddiqi says:

2010/04/13 at 5:02 am

DEEBA, I am drooling over this post right now! Roasted balsamic strawberries on top of an eggless caramel cream refrigerator cake?! My, my! Too much deliciousness going on right now, and I want in!

Great post!

Aparna says:

2010/04/13 at 2:17 pm

So you had a lovely holiday at Pune and Mahabaleshwar. Mahabaleshwar has been on my "to visit" list for so long.

And looking at your cake, I can almost forget that strawberries are gone and its so HOT here. ;-D

HealthJunkie says:

2010/04/13 at 11:23 pm

How gorgeous! I love this. Did you us a spring form pan? I need a new one and I usually shop at KaTom Restaurant Equipment for baking supplies just because they have such affordable prices on awesome kitchen supplies(That the professionals use)

Any other suggestions are appreciated though

diva says:

2010/04/14 at 11:05 am

A very beautiful and i bet, tasty, refrigerator cake fit for a queen Deeba!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:

2010/04/14 at 1:22 pm

Another winning dessert you have here! It looks wonderful and the balsamic strawberries look so syrupy and lush!

tasteofbeirut says:

2010/06/30 at 10:22 am

I had heard about strawberries and balsamic but have never tried it; here, with the addition of caramel to mellow it out and the crunch of digestive biscuits it sounds like a fantastic trio of flavors and sensations; great job as always Deeba.

pooja says:

2011/01/25 at 12:43 pm

Hi Deeba
At what oven temperature do you roast strawberries?

Thanks
Pooja

Amalia Susanin says:

2011/06/26 at 12:05 pm

This is definitely some of the best information I’ve come across on the web, two thumbs up for your hard work, it’s really evident. When can we expect some new articles and new content? I’m hoping soon?

manjeet says:

2012/03/25 at 11:46 am

Hey Deeba,
I tried this cake and it tasted yum to me and other family members except my son , who is my harshest critic ever Reason – the cream was a bit runny as I had not frozen the cake but kept it in the fridge..Is it necessary to keep these fridge cakes frozen at all times??