I’ve had a birthday recently, yes another one, they definitely come round quicker every year. Quite often I end up with a bought cake but as I was on holiday at home, I decided to make my own cake.
The cake was relatively easy to make although it did stick to my tins a little bit, so make sure you grease them very well or use cake release spray.
I probably slightly overbaked my sponges too as they seemed to still be wobbly in the middle. However, it didn’t affect the taste or moistness of the sponge they are just a little darker than I would have liked.
Assembling the cake together is ‘a piece of cake’ and the ‘value’ strawberries I used were ideal. They were smaller but packed with flavour rather than water.
As most of you know I like to enter cooking/baking challenges and was rather perplexed because this didn’t fit any of them. Then I remembered Bookmarked Recipes run by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes and founded by Ruth from Ruth’s Kitchen Experiments.
I’m hoping that I can just sneak in as this is the last Saturday of the month and the round up is due.
More Strawberry Desserts from Farmersgirl Kitchen
A classic Strawberry Shortcake is always popular and very easy to make and assemble.
Sensational Strawberry Pavlova is one of my favourite strawberry desserts.
Make these Strawberry Tarts with ready-made puff pastry. A really quick and easy way to make a showstopper dessert.
White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake
Equipment
- 2 x 20.5cm sandwich tins, greased and the base lined with baking paper
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 150 g good-quality white chocolate broken up
- 200 g unsalted butter diced and softened
- 3 large free-range eggs at room temperature
- 150 g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of ½ unwaxed orange
- 200 g self-raising fl our
For the filling and topping
- 400 g ripe strawberries
- Finely grated zest and juice of ½ unwaxed orange
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar or to taste
- 200 ml double or whipping cream well chilled
- 4 tbsp orange or lemon curd
- 50 g good-quality white chocolate to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of steaming hot but not boiling water (don’t let the base of the bowl touch the hot water) and melt very gently, stirring frequently. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until it has melted.
- Put the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until frothy. Add the sugar and orange zest and whisk on high speed until the mixture is very thick and mousse-like, and the whisk leaves a ribbon-like trail when lifted from the bowl. This takes about 4 minutes.
- Give the chocolate and butter mixture a stir, then add to the egg mixture and stir briefly – it should be just combined. Sift the flour into the bowl and gently fold in using a large metal spoon.
- Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the sponges are light golden brown and springy to the touch. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
To Assemble
- Wipe the strawberries with kitchen paper and hull. Save one-third for decoration; thinly slice the rest into a bowl. Add the orange zest and juice and the sugar and mix gently. Leave for 10 to 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
- Whip the cream until thick, then gently stir through the orange curd.
- Set one sponge, browned top down, on a serving plate. Spoon the sliced strawberries and juice onto the sponge to cover evenly.
- Spread half the whipped cream on top of the strawberries. Set the second sponge, browned top up, on the cream.
To decorate
- Carefully spread the rest of the cream over the top of the cake and pile the reserved strawberries into halves and pile onto the top of the cake. if you have saved small strawberries you can decorate the cake whole strawberries and they look great.
- If you are serving straight away, sprinkle the to of the cake with grated white chocolate.
White chocolate and strawberries – classic combo! This looks like heaven – literally!!
Fantastic birthday cake Janice. I didn't even know I had the recipe until you pointed it out. I've just looked in my book and it loos like a really good one. Glad you were on holiday, it does make it a bit more special. Hope you had a lovely day.
Thanks for the idea it looks delicious xx
Stunning!! Happy birthday sweetie. What a lovely treat to yourself. I imagine it tasted superb. Love the drizzling white creamy icing. Divine!
That looks so lovely … and another cake I don't get the chance to get a piece of …
Love the strawberry and white choc combo – it looks like a delicious birthday cake!
Happy birthday Janice. I always think birthday cakes you make for yourself are the best because you appreciate exactly how much effort goes in to making them and you can make whatever sort YOU like! This does look like a lovely combo.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Janice, and pass me slice of cake too….it looks LUSH!
lovely cake and happy birthday hugs
How delicious does that look? White chocolate is my guilty pleasure…
Happy belated Birthday! You followed my rule, if you want a great birthday cake, bake it YOURSELF! ; ) It looks wonderful!