My current obsession with roasted strawberries and a past success with chocolate and strawberries (I don’t know why, but I used to be sceptical of the two together) led to this very delicious result in which a mousse-like whipped ganache completes the cake that is sandwiched with jammy, deeply flavoured strawberries. The berries are generous, as they should be and the cake is decadent, as it should be. Whether you’re celebrating strawberry season, Valentine’s Day or just getting through a Monday, I hope you love this.
This cake waltzed into my mind one day, declaring itself loudly and insisting I try it out. With a soft, simple chocolate cake as the base to hold the ganache and berries, it sounded like a winner and with one bite, I knew it was. It actually tastes better on day two or even three, when the strawberry juices have moistened the cake a little more and the flavour is more intense. I promise it’s worth the wait.
The roasted strawberries are a game-changer but for some reason, I hadn’t made them more than once. That has officially been corrected and I’m now using this magic as dessert fillings, breakfast toppings and simply diving into the jar a with spoon. A stovetop compote is great (and a little quicker) but the combination of balsamic vinegar and cooking the berries slowly in the oven results in a much deeper, more complex flavour.
While the cake needs a little fridge time to become the best version of itself, it will firm up when it’s cold, as butter cakes do. So it’s a good idea to leave your slice out at room temperature for a bit and though that takes some forethought and sounds contradictory, the slice then becomes what it was meant to be.
Let’s bake!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
Chocolate Strawberry Cake
Ingredients
For the roasted strawberries
- 400 gms strawberries, sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are ok too)
- 2 tbsps caster sugar
- 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
For the cake
- 1/2 cup milk (125 ml) + 1 tsp lemon juice (or use 1/2 cup store-bought buttermilk)
- 1/3 cup freshly boiled water (80 ml)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (20 gms)
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (150 gms)
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup butter, room temp (115 gms)
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (140 gms)
- 1 egg, at room temperature (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the whipped ganache
- 75 gms dark chocolate (50% to 55%), finely chopped
- 3/4 cup whipping cream (190 ml; I use Amul)
Instructions
- To make things less rushed, I made the cake and strawberry filling on day one, and did the ganache and assembly on day two.
- Make the strawberries by combining them with the vinegar and caster sugar in a shallow rectangular dish (about 8x5 inches). Sprinkle the cornflour all over the berries. Stir everything together, spread evenly (some berries overlapping are ok), and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200 C, then bake the strawberries for 20 to 25 minutes until softened but not completely broken down, stirring a couple of times to ensure they cook evenly. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature and the liquid will thicken. Once cooled, transfer to a jar and preferably refrigerate overnight (or at least 2 hours) to let it thicken further.
- Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 175 C. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin very well and preferably use a springform tin for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk and lemon juice. Stir and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the hot water and cocoa powder. Whisk well until the cocoa has dissolved. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, for about 2 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla. Beat again to combine.
- Now alternately fold in the flour mixture and soured milk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour. Use a silicone spatula to fold the batter until smooth but be gentle. If needed, use the hand mixer on low speed to break up any lumps.
- Finally pour in the cooled cocoa mixture and beat gently to combine.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothen the top and bake for 30 minutes, then an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Set aside to cool completely before frosting. You can store the cake overnight, lightly covered at room temperature.
- Make the ganache for the frosting. Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl. Then in a small saucepan, heat the cream on low until hot but not simmering. Pour over the chocolate and let it rest for a few minutes. Then stir gently with a spatula to melt the chocolate completely and you'll have a smooth, runny ganache. For the chocolate drizzle on top of the cake, I reserved 1/4 cup of the ganache. If you don't want to do this, that's absolutely fine, you can whip all of the ganache together in step 15.
- Refrigerate the ganache for 1 hour. At this point, also refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes so that it is firmer and easier to slice.
- When ready to assemble the cake, whip the ganache using a hand mixer on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes until soft peaks form and the ganache is now pale, thick and fluffy. You can taste it and if needed, sift in 2 to 3 tablespoons of icing sugar. I find this helpful if the strawberries are not super sweet, so that the combination is balanced.
- Remove the sides of the springform pan , then slice the chilled cake into two horizontally. Gently lift the top half off and place on a plate nearby. Although this cake doesn't really dome, if there are any uneven bits on top, you can trim them first.
- Spread about three tablespoons of the syrup from the chilled roasted strawberries all over the bottom half of the cake, then spread about half of the whipped ganache in an even layer. Top with two-thirds of the strawberries. Carefully lift the top half of the cake and place it over the ganache and berries, and press down gently.
- Cover the top and sides with the rest of the ganache. I like to leave the sides lightly frosted for more of a 'naked cake' look. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then spoon the remaining strawberries in the center of the cake and if you reserved the ganache in step 13, lightly warm it in the microwave and drizzle all around the berries using a small spoon, it doesn't have to be perfect.
- You can slice the cake now but it does taste even better the next day (or even the day after) once the flavours have had a chance to get to know each other. Keep the cake refrigerated in an airtight tin for 4 to 5 days. Since it's a butter cake which will firm up after chilling, bring individual slices to room temperature before enjoying. Any leftover syrup from the berries can be spooned over the slices. Happy baking!
Notes
