Pastry Chef Melissa Buiskool-Leeuwma,
Baked Expectations
Start this creative project by baking your favourite chocolate cake, making enough to produce 3-9″ rounds.
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 cups strawberries, quartered
2 Tbsp strawberry preserves or strawberry jam
4 whole strawberries for garnish
20 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Method
1. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on high speed to beat cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat strawberries and preserves together on medium speed for about 1 min.
3. Using a spatula, gently fold berries into whipped cream mixture.
4. In a double boiler, melt chocolate over low heat.
5. Cut 2 sheets of parchment paper, making sure the sheets are long enough to easily wrap around the chocolate cake, while leaving a bit of overlap.
6. Lay parchment sheets on bottom of 2 cookie sheets and spread chocolate on both sheets. Tap sheets gently on counter to spread evenly.
7. Chill in fridge until chocolate hardens.
8. Preheat oven to 250˚F.
Assembly
1. Spread 1/3 of the strawberry mousse on bottom layer of chocolate cake round.
2. Place second chocolate layer on top. Spread with 1/3 of the mousse.
3. Top with final layer.
4. Remove 1 chocolate sheet from fridge and flash heat in the oven for 3 to 5 secs.
5. Carefully lift warm chocolate from cookie sheet and wrap around assembled cake and mousse layers.
6. Place cake in fridge until chocolate hardens and then remove parchment paper.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 with remaining chocolate sheet.
8. Top cake with remaining mousse and decorate with strawberries.
Yield 10-12 servings