It was my sister in laws birthday yesterday and that gave me the perfect excuse to create a new dessert. Yes I need excuses to make dessert, coming from a family of over weight and diabetic people stops me from making desserts too often. 

I knew she likes chocolate and strawberries and that to me is a sinfully perfect match the kind you have when you are feeling extra decadent or simply a bit naughty.

There really weren't any easy to make combinations of the two that I could find online that could also pass off as a birthday cake.

So I took a recipe from my Cordon Bleu days and added my own twist on it. It was as indulgent as I had imagined and tasted way better than it looked (I really need to improve my cake decoration skills!).

Hope you do try it!

 Ingredients

Cake

Flour - 100 gms 

Eggs - 4 whole eggs + 1 yolk

Sugar - 120 gms

Cocoa powder - 20 gms

Ganache

Dark chocolate  - 500 gms

Cream - 500 gms

Strawberry compote

Fresh strawberries - 1 box

Imbibing syrup - 100 gms sugar, 125 ml water, vanilla essence

Cake tin

Use a 8" mold.

Making it!

The Cake

Ok so this is a cake with no baking powder and no butter and therefore requires extra effort to make it rise. Start with beating the eggs and the sugar over a double boiler for those who don't know what that it is basically take a bowl and keep it over a pan of boiling water so that the bowl gets indirect heat and keep whisking the eggs and sugar till it is double in volume and has turned a pale yellow almost white. You could use a hand whisk but I would recommend an electric one. The mix (Sabayon) should come up to about 36C and then you can take it off the heat and keep mixing. If you feel the temperature is dropping put it back onto the double boiler.

Then sift together the flour and cocoa powder and then slowly little by little fold into the Sabayon. This is a very critical process and should be done gently else the air you have incorporated will be lost.

Pour into a buttered and flour dusted baking pan (you could line the bottom with baking paper) and bake at 180 till done. The time will depend on your oven as well as the dept of your cake tin. You will know your cake it done when you pierce the center with a knife and it comes out clean.

The Ganache

Making ganache is super simple. Simply chop up your choclate. Heat the cream and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a min and then slowly start folding it starting from the center. The chocolate and cream will miraculously amalgamate. In case the temp drops just put it onto the double boiler and stir till it has melted and it gooey and rich and shiny.

The imbibing syrup

Pour the sugar into the water and boil till melted! Add vanilla essence.

The strawberry compote

Add chopped strawberries to the imbibing syrup and boil for 1 min do not over boil! Drain and reserve the syrup.

Putting it all together!

Once the cake has cooled (preferably cold) slice in the center to make two equal circles. Pour the imbibing syrup onto the first circle till it has soaked through. Slather on the ganache onto the cake and top with the strawberry compote. Place the second circle on top with the top of the cake touching the strawberry compote basically place it upside down this makes it easier to ice as well as the syrup gets imbibed properly. Pour the syrup on top and let the cake cool for 15-20 mins. Add as thin layer of ganache all over covering the sides of the cake as well. Cool for another 30 mins. Remove and add another layer of the ganache all over and smooth the whole thing down.

Decorate as you wish!

Enjoy with a glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.