Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and for some reason I always associate it with strawberries — so I wanted to make something featuring them. It doesn't matter that it's winter right now, since frozen strawberries are always available at the store. It's a shame that this holiday and strawberry season are so far apart; I think Valentine's Day would be perfect in June! But anyway, back to today's cake. The base is a classic chocolate sponge, and the filling is a mousse-style creamy layer with a delicate strawberry flavor, all topped with a classic dark chocolate ganache. The cake turned out incredibly delicious, elegant, and unique — my taste testers, my husband and daughter, gave the magical combination of strawberry, cream, and chocolate flavors two big thumbs up! P.S. If you don't have strawberries on hand, feel free to use raspberries or currants — it'll become a "Raspberry Bomb" or "Currant Bomb"! It will be just as delicious, so don't be afraid to experiment!
Ingredients:
- Sponge Layer:
- 4 eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 10 g vanilla sugar
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 50 g water + 2 tsp sugar (for soaking)
- Filling:
- 500 g strawberries (frozen or fresh, or other berries work too)
- 300 g heavy cream 33–36%
- 80 g sugar
- 12 g gelatin
- juice of half a lemon
- Ganache:
- 100 g dark chocolate (I used 56%)
- 100 g heavy cream 33–36%
How to cook chocolate cake "Strawberry Bomb"
Make the sponge layer. Beat the egg whites thoroughly to stiff peaks, gradually adding half of the sugar.
Beat the egg yolks thoroughly, gradually adding the remaining sugar and vanilla sugar, beating until the mixture lightens significantly and increases in volume.
Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whites in stages, using light folding motions from the bottom up.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Add the dry mixture to the eggs in stages, each time carefully folding it in from the bottom up with gentle strokes, taking care not to deflate the batter.
Make the filling. Thaw the strawberries in advance (you can speed this up in the microwave). Place them in a blender, add the sugar and lemon juice, and blend until smooth.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Bloom the gelatin in 3–4 tbsp of water and let it sit for 10 minutes, or for the time indicated on the package. Heat until the gelatin is fully dissolved, then let it cool completely. Stir it into the strawberry mixture while mixing.
Add the strawberry mixture and fold together vigorously but gently. The result is a wonderfully delicious, fragrant strawberry cream. Taste it, and if needed, sweeten further with powdered sugar. Refrigerate the cream for 30–40 minutes to let it thicken slightly.
Assemble the cake. Line a suitable bowl with plastic wrap — a salad bowl or a colander will work. I used a salad bowl 20 cm in diameter and 9 cm deep. Cut a circle from the sponge layer slightly smaller than the diameter of the finished cake. Cut the remaining sponge into pieces to line the entire inner surface of the bowl. Brush with the soaking syrup and press the pieces tightly together.
Place the round sponge layer on top and brush it with the soaking syrup as well. Refrigerate the cake for several hours, but preferably overnight, so it sets completely and slices more cleanly.
Make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream until very hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into pieces. Begin stirring. At first the mixture may look uneven, but keep stirring actively until it becomes completely smooth, glossy, and shiny. Let it cool slightly so the ganache thickens a bit. Pour the ganache over the cake and decorate as you like. I decorated mine with chocolate hearts, but berries or fruit also work great on top. Refrigerate the cake until the ganache is set.
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