Eggless Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Ingredients:

Sponge

• BUTTER 100 GRAMS (SOFT)
• CASTOR SUGAR 15 GRAMS
• CONDENSED MILK 200 GRAMS
• VANILLA ESSENCE 5 ML
• MILK 100 ML
• CURD 55 GRAMS
• VINEGAR 1/2 TSP
• REFINED FLOUR 100 GRAMS
• COCOA POWDER 30 GRAMS
• BAKING SODA 1 TSP

Method:

1. To make the chocolate sponge, add the butter & castor sugar into a large bowl & whisk them both until the butter turns pale in colour & gets fluffy.
2. Further add the condensed milk & vanilla essence, whisk well to incorporate the condensed milk with the butter, once the condensed milk gets incorporated, add the milk & mix it well.
3. Then in a separate bowl mix the curd & vinegar together then add the curd into the batter & mix well using a whisk, your wet ingredients are ready.
4. Place a sieve over the bowl & add the refined flour, cocoa powder & baking soda into the sieve, sieve all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, make sure you sieve the lumps of cocoa powder that remain in the sieve.
5. Mix the dry ingredients well with the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains, make sure that you don’t overmix the batter.
6. Your batter for cake sponge is ready, pour the batter into a 7-inch parchment paper lined baking tin & bake in a 170 C oven for 30 minutes.
7. While the sponge is baking you can continue to make the further components of the cake.

Ganache

• DARK CHOCOLATE COMPOUND 200 GRAMS (CHOPPED)
• FRESH CREAM 100 GRAMS

Method:

1. Set a heatproof bowl over a stock pot with boiling water, then add the chopped chocolate along with the fresh cream, whisk contiguously until all the chocolate melts.
2. Once the chocolate melts, remove the heatproof bowl from the stock pot, cover it with a cling & poke holes into it.
3. Place the ganache in the fridge for 30 minutes for it to set after which your ganache will be ready to be used.

For layering

• STRAWBERRY 300 GRAMS (CHOPPED)
• POWDERED SUGAR 2 TBSP
• SUGAR 1/4 CUP
• BOILING WATER 1/2 CUP

Method:

1. Add all the chopped strawberries into a bowl & add the powdered sugar, mix well & set it aside, your chopped strawberries for layering are ready.
2. To make the sugar water, add the sugar into a bowl then add boiling water into it, mix well until all the sugar dissolves then cool it down completely, you sugar water is ready.

Topping

• NUTELLA 100-150 GRAMS
• STRAWBERRY (HALVED)

Method:

1. Once baked, remove the tin from the oven, to check if the sponge has baked correctly, insert a toothpick in the centre of the sponge, it should come out clean.
2. Let the sponge cool down in the tin for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack & peel off the parchment paper, then cover the sponge with a damp cloth & cool it down completely.
3. Once cooled cut the sponge into 3 equal layers using a serrated knife, your cake is now ready to be layered.
4. Spread a dash of the ganache on a large plate or a cake stand & place the bottom layer of the sponge on it & brush the sugar water on the surface of the sponge, this will help the sponge to remain the moist & soft.
5. Then spread an even layer of the ganache on the sponge & then spread half amount of the chopped strawberries.
6. Then place the second layer of the sponge over the strawberries & repeat the process of layering.
7. Once you have applied one more layer of the sugar water, ganache & chopped strawberries, place the third layer of the sponge.
8. Then apply the remaining sugar syrup from the strawberries on the top layer then brush the remaining amount of sugar water.
9. Further pour the nutella & spread it evenly, you can also decorate it in swirls like how I did.
10. Then use the halved strawberries to decorate the cake, you can also decorate the cake as per your preference & liking.
11. Your chocolate strawberry cake is ready, set in the fridge for at least an hour before cutting it.