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1
To make the Italian meringue, put the sugar, water and glucose/corn syrup in a medium large pot.
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2
Put the eggs in the (scrupulously clean) bowl of a stand mixer.
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3
Set the heat under the pot to medium high, bring the sugar mix to the boil, swirling the pot to move the sugar once it dissolves.
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4
Use a sugar thermometer to check the temperature of the boiling syrup.
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5
Please be careful with hot sugar!
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6
When the temperature reaches 100C, start the whisk on the stand mixer to high.
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7
When the sugar reaches 116C (or the 'soft ball' stage), take the syrup off the heat and slowly pour into the fluffly egg whites, keeping the mixer on a medium high speed.
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8
Once all the syrup is poured in, turn the speed down to low, and leave it whisking until the egg whites have cooled, this can take up to thirty minutes.
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9
While this is happening, take half of the strawberries and the confectioner's sugar and blitz them in a food processor until smooth.
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10
Strain them through a sieve to remove any seeds, and keep in the fridge.
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11
Take the other half of the strawberries and slice them up.
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12
Reserve the nicest slices to decorate your cake, add the white sugar to the rest and leave to mascerate.
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13
Put the cream in a large bowl and whip to the consistency of soft ice cream (think of sundaes or Mr Whippy, in the UK)
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14
Take a loaf tin that holds at least six cups, you may need another container as this mixture can make up to ten cups worth...dampen it with a little water, shake off the excess, and line it with plastic wrap.
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15
Place the reserved strawberry slices in a pattern on the bottom of your lined loaf tin.
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16
Take the cream and spoon it into the meringue, along with the strawberry puree and the sliced strawberries.
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17
Fold it all together gently with a meal spoon, until it is just rippled.
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18
Spoon mixture into the prepared tin, any extra can be spooned into another lined container.
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19
The top if the main cake can be smoothed out with a spatula dragged across it, rather like a bricklayer smooths the cement on a brick wall.
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20
Do this over the other container to catch the excess mixture.
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21
Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until set.
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22
This will take at least 7-8 hours, but can be left overnight to firm up fully.
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23
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving, pull the plastic wrap, turn onto a serving plate, remove the plastic wrap and use a bread knife soaked in hot water to cut slices.
