Baking Love

This cake has been a three day effort in honour of my daughter’s 5th birthday. She described to me in quite good detail exactly what she wanted. The title above is what she’s been calling it. I went to my list of recipes and found one I thought would fit the bill. It comes from Joy of Baking. Stephanie says she adapted it from Alice Medrich’s book, Chocolat, and Judy Gethers’ and Mary Bergin’s book, Spago Desserts. I made it in three layers, which is three of Stephanie’s recipe. I chose to change some of the order of directions, for what was easier for me to help the cake come together. Thanks Stephanie for sharing these recipes.

Between each layer of cake, which is a chocolate genoise or sponge cake, is ganache, again using Stephanie’s recipe. Over the ganache I put drained frozen strawberries and raspberries and maraschino cherries. On top of the berries went chocolate mousse, using Stephanie’s adapted recipe (included with first above cake link). On the top layer is ganache, then a layer of strawberry icing based on Stephanie’s chocolate icing, which she says she adapted from Bonnie Stern’s book Desserts and Lisa Yockelson’s book Chocolate. I left out the chocolate and substituted the reserved juice from the strawberries to make the icing pink. On the very top is fresh raspberries and more maraschino cherries.

This cake is truly a piece de resistance. Not only is it one of the most involved cakes I have ever made, but my husband, sister, and mother all said they couldn’t tell it was gluten-free, which is the first time I have heard that with anything gluten-free I have baked. I don’t believe they were just being nice in the past, it’s just that this cake was so good. It needs some special attention but was otherwise easy to adapt, mostly because there isn’t much gluten in the original recipe to replace. All the heat, whipping, and aerating help to give it a good crumb and a nice light texture. The taste was rich but not too heavy and the combination of the chocolate with the cherries, strawberries, and raspberries was just heavenly. It kept surprisingly well and the ganache kept the cake from getting soggy.

On the first day I made the chocolate mousse and ganache and put them in the fridge. On the second day I made the three cakes and put them in the fridge as well. On the third day I made the icing and assembled the cake step by step: cake, ganache, berries and cherries, mousse, cake, ganache, cherries and berries, mousse, cake, ganache, icing, cherries and raspberries, and of course candles. In the end what emerged was beyond what I could have pictured before it was complete.

Cherry Berry Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Chocolate Genoise

45g (3 tablespoons) hot melted butter or ghee/clarified butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50g (1/2 cup) gluten-free flour blend (I used quinoa flour, sweet rice flour, and arrowroot starch)

40g (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder

4 large eggs

150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar

Preheat oven to 175C (350F). Grease a 23 cm (9 inch) round cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. (If you are making three layers, you will need three tins, one for each cake. I chose not to line my tins and I highly recommend it, after the fact. It would make getting the layers out easier. Even heavily greased, the ability to just loosen the edges and flip is not there without the paper. While it is fun to get your hands in the cake, I certainly enjoyed it, it takes more time and nerves to get it out that way. Perhaps I’ll learn someday )

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly so the eggs don’t curdle and scramble, until they are just lukewarm to the touch, about 5 minutes. (I used the bowl from my stand mixer to save washing a second bowl. If you’d rather not, then pour the mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer after the eggs are heated.) Beat on high speed until the mixture has cooled, tripled in volume, and looks like softly whipped cream. This will take about 5 minutes and the batter is beaten sufficiently when it falls back into the bowl in a ribbon-like patter. (Mine took about 12 minutes. I had to beat it on a slightly lower speed to avoid flinging eggs all over the kitchen.)

Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over the eggs and fold it in gently. Do not overmix or you will deflate the batter. Fold in half the remaining flour, then fold in the rest. Combine the warm butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Stephanie suggest folding some of the batter into the butter to lighten it and then folding the butter mixture into the rest of the batter. I tried it both ways and found that the cakes baked up evenly whether I lightened the butter or not. (Just don’t forget to fold in the butter until you’ve poured the batter into the tin. I did that and my cake fell in the centre. I used that layer as the bottom.) When completely combined, pour the batter into the prepared tin, gently smoothing the top.

Bake until the cake shrinks back slightly from the edges of the tin and the top springs back when lightly pressed, about 20-25 minutes. (Mine took 25 minutes. I made and baked the cakes one at a time.) Cool on a rack. When the cake has cooled completely, run a knife or spatula around the edges to release it. The genoise will keep well-wrapped two days in the fridge or three months frozen. (My cake lasted four days in the fridge kept in a cake dome).

Chocolate Mousse

175g (6 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces (I used Green and Black’s Dark 70%)

350 ml (1 1/2 cups) cream or one coconut cream recipe (see below)

3 large egg yolks (I used one whole egg. I hate finding ways to use egg parts.)

75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar

60 ml (1/4 cup) water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)

In a medium heat-proof bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Take the saucepan off the heat and set aside, but leave the bowl of chocolate over the warm water to keep it slightly warm.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form or prepare coconut cream. Place in the fridge, covered, until needed.

Place the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, a minute or two, to produce a sugar syrup. Then, whisking constantly, pour the boiling syrup over the egg yolks. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and light in colour and hot to the touch, about 10 minutes. (Again, I used the bowl from my stand mixer.)

Remove the bowl from the heat and quickly scrape the egg mixture into the clean bowl of your stand mixer. On medium speed, or with a hand mixer, beat until the volume has doubled and the bottom of the bowl is completely cool to the touch. Turn speed to low and beat in the warm melted chocolate mixture until well combined. Fold in half the reserved whipped cream or coconut cream, then the second half, then the vanilla extract, if using. Use immediately or put in the fridge, covered, until needed. If it is a bit runny, the chilling will firm it up.

Coconut Cream

1 400 ml (14 oz) tin coconut milk, chilled overnight

30g (2 tablespoons) caster sugar (original used 15g (2 tablespoons) icing sugar)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill a mixing bowl and beaters. Open the chilled coconut milk and spoon the cream from the top, avoiding the thin liquid underneath. If you don’t, then your cream will not set properly. Beat the coconut cream in the chilled bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat in the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

Ganache

225g (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces (I used Scharffen Berger Dark 70%)

175 ml (3/4 cup) cream or non-dairy milk

30g (2 tablespoons) butter or ghee/clarified butter (may omit)

1 tablespoon cognac or brandy (optional, I used vanilla extract instead)

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream or non-dairy milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and pour the boiling mixture over the chocolate and allow to stand for five minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth and add liqueur or extract of your choice.

Strawberry Icing

75 ml (1/3 cup) strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, or other reddish juice

115g (1/2 cup) butter, softened and cut into pieces, or trans-fat free shortening or margarine

300g (2 1/2 cups) icing sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place butter, or shortening, or margarine and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until well combined and creamy. Slowly add the juice, salt, and vanilla extract. When the icing starts to come together, increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth. If necessary, add more juice or sugar to reach a smooth spreading consistency. (I originally followed Stephanie’s instructions of placing the juice, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl, then adding the butter. My icing ended up full of lumps that I could not beat out, so I changed the order of combining the ingredients and it came together nicely.)

Filling and Garnish:

285g (10 oz) frozen strawberries, thawed and drained

285g (10 oz) frozen raspberries, thawed and drained

about 30 maraschino cherries (455g, 16 oz), drained

fresh raspberries

Assembly:

Place one layer on a plate. Spread a thin layer of softened ganache over the top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge until the ganache is set, about 5 minutes. Spread half the strawberries and half the raspberries on top of the ganache. Place 10 of the cherries on top of the berries. Spread half the chocolate mousse over the fruit.

Top with the second layer. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the top of the second cake. Again, place the cake in the fridge to allow the ganache to set. Spread the rest of the strawberries and raspberries on top of the ganache. Place 10 more cherries on top of the berries. Spread the rest of the mousse over the fruit.

Top with the third layer. Spread a thin layer of ganache over the top of the third cake. Place the cake in the fridge until the ganache is set. Spread a generous layer of strawberry icing on top of the ganache. Decorate with the raspberries and the rest of the cherries. Enjoy!

Casein-Free Option:

Use coconut cream instead of the whipped cream for the chocolate mousse. You could use your favourite ready made dairy free pudding as well. For the ganache, use your favourite dairy-free milk (such as hemp milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk) or goat’s milk. Substitute trans-fat free shortening or ghee for the butter, or leave it out altogether. For the strawberry icing, use trans-fat free shortening or margarine for the butter.