Ruby Tuesday's Strawberry Tall Cake

Much to my dismay, I have cut back on sugar consumption. Difficult, because I love sweet treats, but on the other hand, I want to be a healthier person.

That said, I normally make a dessert at least once per week, but I try to have only a piece or two, and share the rest. Going through some of my cookbooks, I came across a series of books by Todd Wilbur, who reproduces recipes from popular chain restaurants. 

In the first volume, I saw the Ruby Tuesday Strawberry Tall Cake and remembered that it was a favorite of ours. I haven't visited a Ruby Tuesday in ages and I don't know if they still serve this. I decided to give it a try and it turned out pretty good. The photo I took doesn't show the cake layers and is not a very good representation, but you get the idea. Actually, we thought the best way to eat this was in a bowl, kind of like a trifle.

I am so used to Maida Heatter's recipes, which I am still going through on my other blog. Her recipes are so detailed (I learned to bake from her) that I am spoiled. The recipes in the "Top Secret" books are not as detailed as Maida's.  They also have illustrations that look like a construction blueprint. Here is the illustration for the Tall Cake - how does this not terrify someone wanting to try this?

Aside from this intimidating illustration, I plunged forward.  In the end, it all worked. It has motivated me to try some of the other recipes, particularly some of the main-dish ones.

Ruby Tuesday Strawberry Tallcake for Two

There are several components to the recipe -

Strawberry Mousse and Sauce

1 10-oz. package frozen strawberries in syrup
1 3/4 cups water
1 3 oz. package strawberry Jello
1 cup heavy cream

Defrost the strawberries and pour the entire package, including the syrup, into a blender 

or food processor. Blend for 10-15 seconds, until you have a smooth puree.

Combine the puree with 1 1/2 cups of the water (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup) in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Add the Jello, stir to dissolve, and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.

After the mixture has cooled, divide it into two bowls.

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold ONE bowl of the strawberry mixture into the whipped cream, a little at a time, until incorporated. Cover and chill. (This is the mousse).

Whisk the 1/4 cup of water into the other bowl of the strawberry mixture. Cover and chill. (This is the syrup).

Sponge Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cold water

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat the egg yolks until they are light in color and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.

Blend in the sugar, water, and vanilla.

Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients a little at a time, until blended.

In a clean mixer bowl with clean beaters (I use the whisk attachment for this), beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 11 x 17" cookie sheet that has a rim. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top of the cake is lightly golden. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then invert it onto a board to remove it from the pan. Let it cool completely. 

After the cake is completely cooled, it can be sliced. How you do this depends on how you plan to serve it. If using a goblet (the way it is served in the restaurant), you can use a cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut the cake into discs that will fit into the goblet. Alternatively,  you could make a trifle out of it and cut it into larger pieces. 

After the cake is cooled and the sauce and mousse have firmed, it is ready to assemble.

Toppings

Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 pint strawberries, sliced

1 can whipped cream

First, place a layer of cake on the bottom of the container. Spread a layer of mousse on top of the cake layer. Repeat this two or three times, depending on what size of container you are using. 

Next, top the cake and mousse layers with scoops of ice cream and strawberries. Drizzle with the strawberry sauce. Top with whipped cream.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy