Ingredients
For the caramel shards
100g/3½oz caster sugar
non-stick baking paper
For the spun sugar
100g/3½oz caster sugar
3 tbsp water
For the vanilla tuille garnish
55g/2oz flour
55g/2oz butter, melted
1 free-range egg white, lightly whisked
110g/4oz caster sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
non-stick baking paper
1 ready-made madeira cake
190ml/6½fl oz cream, whipped
300g/10½ frozen tropical fruit pieces, defrosted
8 tbsp raspberry jam
icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with non-stick baking paper.
3. For the caramel shards, heat the sugar in a clean saucepan over a medium heat until it dissolves and it becomes a dark caramel colour. Place the bottom of the pan into a bowl of cold water to stop the sugar from darkening further.
4. Using a spoon, drizzle the caramel onto some baking paper. Leave to set. Break up into shards once set.
5. For the spun sugar, heat the sugar and water in a clean saucepan over a medium heat, without stirring, until it dissolves.
6. Increase the heat and boil rapidly until the dissolved sugar thickens and darkens in colour. Carefully, dip an oiled fork into the hot liquid sugar and flick it over an oiled wooden spoon to create fine strands of sugar. Gather up in a bundle immediately. (NB: Cover floor surrounding floor and work surfaces with newspaper beforehand as the sugar may scatter.)
7. For the tuille, place the flour, butter, egg white, caster sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl . Using a palette knife, spread thin strips onto a piece of non-stick baking paper and transfer into the oven for five to eight minutes, until golden around the edges. Remove immediately and carefullly bend around a rolling pin to shape. Allow to cool.
8. With a knife, slice the rounded part off the top of the cake to level it, and discard it. Slice the remaining cake in to three even layers and put the base aside.
9. Spread a third of the raspberry jam on one layer of the cake. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the jam and place some of the pieces of the tropical fruit on top of the cream.
10. Repeat with the remaining two layers of cake, and finish by placing the base of the cake on the top, and dust heavily with icing sugar.
11. Carefully heat a metal skewer until red hot and score the icing sugar to create marks on the top of the cake. Arrange the remaining tropical fruit pieces on top of the cake. Finish by carefully placing the vanilla tuille and some caramel shards on top of the fruit.
12. To serve, top with the spun sugar.
