Chocolate & strawberry cream layer cake
So many people don’t like fruitcake so this chocolate cake is certain to wow the fussiest of crowds at Christmas time. Eat within a few days of assembly.
Ingredients
Method
- ¼ cup cocoa
- ¼ cup oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 6 eggs, separated
- 11/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups caster sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
Strawberry cream filling:
- 250-gram punnet strawberries, hulled and chopped
- 400 grams mascarpone
- ½ cup cream, whipped
- ½ cup icing sugar
Topping:
- 2 punnets strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 red rose, petals only (optional)
- 1 Tbsp cocoa
- 2 Tbsp caster sugar
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC and line the base of 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking paper – do not grease.
- In a jug or small bowl, stir together the cocoa, oil, milk, vanilla and egg yolks.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the sugar together in a large baking bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cocoa mixture; stir together loosely.
- Working quickly and using electric beaters, beat the egg whites and vinegar together in a clean bowl until foamy. Slowly add the remaining sugar until a soft meringue-like consistency is reached.
- Stir a large spoon of the egg white mixture into the flour and cocoa mixture then fold through remaining egg whites. Divide mixture equally between prepared tins.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 17-20 minutes. When cooked, the cakes will spring back when lightly touched in the centre. Leave in tins until completely cool before turning out.
Real tips: Not greasing the sides of the cake tin allows these light and airy cakes to climb higher up the sides of the pan.