Amanda Laird: Cherry bavarois on lemon sponge

Cherry bavarois on lemon sponge. Picture / Babiche Martens

Serves 8

Sponge
3 eggs
Pinch salt
3/4 cup caster sugar
Finely grated zest of one lemon
1 cup self-raising flour
50g melted butter

Bavarois
oil spray
5 egg yolks
150g caster sugar
4 gelatine leaves or 4 tsp gelatine powder
Cold water
300 ml milk
450 ml cream
Juice of 2 large lemons
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup water
16 fresh cherries

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Spray individual moulds. Beat eggs and salt, add lemon zest and sugar and continue beating until pale. Fold in flour then butter. Pour on to a lined baking tray, spreading as thinly as possible. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden. When cool, using a cutter to make 8 discs of sponge to match the size of chosen ramekins or moulds.

2. For the bavarois, beat the yolks with sugar until thick and pale. Warm milk, add to yolks and stir to combine. In a saucepan, gently stir the mixture until it starts to thicken, not letting it boil. Cool slightly. Either soak gelatine leaves in cold water until softened, squeeze and mix well into the custard or sprinkle powder over 3Tbs water, after 5 minutes add to custard and mix well.

3. Softly beat cream and fold through then spoon into moulds. Top with rounds of sponge.

4. Heat water, juice and sugar, simmering for 15 minutes. Brush sponges with lemon syrup and refrigerate desserts until set (this can be made the evening before.) Let the cherries sit in the syrup for a few minutes. To serve, run a wet knife around the edge of the mould and invert on to serving plate. Top with cherries and a drizzle of syrup.