administratorThis cake is truly delightful — beautifully balanced in flavor, moist yet wonderfully light. The sponge and strawberry mousse are not overly sweet, allowing the rich, velvety white chocolate cream to shine without overwhelming the palate. I discovered this recipe in the magazine “Pâtisseries & compagnie”, and it has quickly become one of my favorites.
Ingredients (20 cm / 8-inch cake tin)
Sponge Cake
4 large eggs
300 g icing sugar (I used regular granulated sugar)
210 g all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder (you won’t taste it in the baked cake)
60 g strawberries (about 3 large berries)
50 ml water
Strawberry Mousse
250 g strawberries (I used frozen, thawed beforehand)
40 g gelling sugar for jams
White Chocolate Cream
200 g white chocolate
100 g soft butter
200 g white fresh cheese (such as cream cheese, Philadelphia, ricotta or fromage frais)
150 g icing sugar
A little pink or red gel food coloring (optional)
A few fresh strawberries for decoration
Instructions
Sponge Cake
Preheat the oven to 175°C (top/bottom heat). Grease a 20 cm cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
Wash and hull the strawberries, blend them, and heat gently with the water in a small saucepan. Set aside.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.
While continuing to mix, gradually add the flour mixture to the eggs.
Add the strawberries with water and gently combine using a whisk.
Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (After about 40 minutes, I covered the cake with foil to prevent it from browning too much.)
Strawberry Mousse
Blend the strawberries and transfer them to a small saucepan with the gelling sugar.
Heat until the mixture begins to boil.
Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
White Chocolate Cream
Break the white chocolate into pieces and melt it over a hot water bath* or in the microwave on low power.
Let it cool slightly (it may remain warm but must not be hot).
Beat the cream cheese with the soft butter until smooth and lump-free.
Add the melted chocolate, icing sugar, and optional food coloring. Beat until fully combined and creamy.
Assembling the Cake
Slice the sponge horizontally into three even layers.
Place the first layer on a serving plate and spread it with half of the cooled strawberry mousse.
Top with the second layer and spread the remaining mousse.
Place the final sponge layer on top.
Cover the entire cake with half of the white chocolate cream. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Remove the cake from the fridge and spread the remaining cream evenly over the top and sides.
Decorate as desired — fresh strawberries work beautifully.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator before serving.
Enjoy this elegant, strawberry-kissed delight! 🍓
