KAYE'S STRAWBERRY BOMB GATEAU

Hello, hello :)
You are in for a treat, friends- because you just won't look at the mouthwatering photo of the cake I've made for my daughter's birthday BUT I will share this with you, consider it as my Christmas present :)
I think it would liven up your dinner table and well- impress your loved ones and guests. There were a lot of Ooohs and Aahhs when I took this cake out of the fridge and everybody can't wait for me to serve it (LOL). It tastes as awesome as it looks, so I hope you try it out. This cake that I made is a rectangular layer cake, which means I did two batches of the cake recipe (one for the bottom and the other is the top, and of course the cream filling in between). I also usually bake my cakes the night before the occassion and refirigerate them, I ice them in the morning. So, are we all set?  Here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE:
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c sour milk
2 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp.vanilla
1/2 c cocoa dissolved in 3/4 c hot water
1/2 tsp.salt
2 1/2 c cake flour


* Cream butter til fluffy and add in sugar. Beat until batter is no longer grainy, add in eggs one at a time. Add in alternately- dry ingredients and cocoa mixture. Beat til smooth. Line tray with wax paper, pour in batter and bake at 180 deg. C (350 F) for 25-30 minutes or until cake center springs back to touch. Cool.Next thing we prepare is the cream filling...

CREAM FILLING:

500 mls. heavy cream
3/4 c icing sugar
chopped strawberries
tinge of red food color for a baby pink hue
* Just whip cream with mixer, halfway add in icing sugar and once the cream has reached a spreading consistency then add in food colour, mix in to achieve the hue that we want. Add in berries.

ASSEMBLY: 

 Once the cake has cooled, invert it over on your cake board and carefully peel off baking paper- sandwich cream filling with another layer of cake- hence, remember to bake two batches of the cake recipe  :-)

Okay, you now have a nicely chilled cake in the fridge with a lovely filling. Now we have to ice it...

FROSTING:

ICING No.1: Royal Icing
Egg whites from 7 eggs
cream of tartar
salt
3/4 c sugar
*Make sure the bowl you are about to use is absolutely grease-free, otherwise this will prevent whites from forming stiff peaks (volume). Alright, beat whites til foamy, add 1 tsp. tartar and salt. Continue to beat until soft peaks form (FYI-lift the beater and if the peaks bend over, then that is the 'soft' peak stage), add in half of the sugar, beat. Add in the other half and beat til' stiff- when peaks remain upright and the whites are glossy then it is ready for icing.
*Take the cake out of the fridge and completely ice with the royal icing. Smooth the top and sides. Return to fridge while you make-


ICING No.2: Ganache
Dark chocolate melts, 1 1/2 c
heavy cream 300 mls.- combine these two in a bigger saucepan or stainless bowl and place on top of another saucepan, like so:

*Using a double boiler technique: simmer water over low heat in a saucepan, place the saucepan with cream and chocolate over it and wait for the chocolate to melt. Take it off from heat once chocolate has melted. Cool until it has thickened to the consistency that we want- in between watery and too thick, (hmmm- this part is a bit tricky for me to explain because I don't really time each process).


I know when I have achieved the thickness that I want when I see it. Just make sure it has completely cooled and that it has thickened enough to trickle down the sides of  the cake nicely, it might help if you test a teeny amount first.

 *PICK THE NICEST STRAWBERRIES FROM THE PUNNET AND DIP IN MELTED CHOCOLATE FOR GARNISH. I ALSO USED UP THE EXTRA CHOCOLATE BY WRITING HEART AND FAN PATTERNS ON WAX PAPER TIL THEY HARDEN, AGAIN FOR GARNISH.


*Okay, let's finish this!  take the cake out of fridge again, pour over the cooled and thickened chocolate ganache, let it dribble down the sides for effect. Garnish with the chocolate patterns and strawberries. Keep in the fridge until it's ready to be served.


MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!   ;-)

Cooks'  Note: 

It is very important, for the ganache recipe that no water or any other liquid drop into the ganache mixture whilst it is melting because the chocolate will 'seize'. It will harden up, crumble and become grainy so make sure: cream and chocolate that's it and that the whisk or spoon that you use for mixing is DRY!
Any questions- just email me :)