Vanilla cake with Strawberry mousse and White chocolate ganache ...

 

First of all let me say a big thank u to all my FB friends who wished me for my special day and those who havent got a clue  what I am talking about ..let me explain. I grew one more year older yesterday and to celebrate the day  I baked this cake for me ....Baking our own birthday cake may sound silly right ? But if there was somebody to bake a cake for me I wouldnt have botherd to bake a cake for myself, jabbers apart I thoroughly enjoyed  baking it as well as eating it and so did S and my  lil one.

 

When I planned to bake this cake I was a bit confused which filling to choose for the cake  and the when I posted about my dilemma in  my FB page , my fellow blogger friends came to the rescue...thanks friends ! So filling was finalised and Manju from Manju's eating delights even  shared her idea how to decorate it..she is a  great friend indeed ! Those who havent been to her space do check her space out, she has some wonderful recipes and beautiful cakes in her blog ! 

 

Coming back to the cake, it was 2 layered  vanilla cake with strawberry mousse filling and White chocolate ganache frosting with drizzles of melted chocolate and swrils of fresh cream topped with strawberries...Decorating it is as easy as it sounds !

 

 

Ingredients for vanilla cake
Plain flour (maida) - 1 1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup(softened)
Eggs  -2(large )
Sugar -1 cup
Baking powder - 1 3/4 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Preparation

1.Sift flour,baking powder,salt and keep aside.
2.In a bowl beat butter for 1-2 minutes.
3.Add sugar and beat again until fluffy .
4. Break eggs in bowl a beat it lighly with a spoon.

5.With beater running add the eggs little by little to the butter-sugar mixture.

6.Add vanilla extract and beat again.

7.Now add flour and milk alternately and fold in beginning and ending with flour.
8.Pour the batter into to two 8 inch greased pan dusted with some flour and bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

9.Cool the cake completely  in a wire rack.

 

Ingredients for Strawberry mousse ( recipe adapted from here and here )

 

1.Egg yolks - 3

2.Milk - 3/4 cup

3.Double cream - 3/4 cup

4.Sugar  - 1/2 cup

5.Vanilla extract - 1tbs

6.Corn flour - 3 tbs

7.Strawberry puree - 3/4 cup

8.Gelatin - 1/2 tbs

9.Water - 4 tbs

 

Method

1.In a large mixing bowl add egg yolks ,sugar,corn flour,vanilla extract and whisk it until sugar is dissolved .

2.In a saucepan add milk and cream on a low flame and when it starts to boil switch of the flame.

3.Add the hot milk cream mixture to the egg very slowly with one hand  and continously strirring with other hand ,this is to make sure that egg doesnt get  scrambled  !

4.Once all the milk is added pour everything back to the saucepan and on a very low heat cook it by continously stirring it with a whisk or spoon until the custard gets thick.

5.Seive the custard to get a smooth custard .

6.Cover and chill the custard, meanwhile puree the srawberries .

7.Melt gelatin in a microwave adding 4 tbs of water for about 30 seconds and add this to strawberry puree.

8.Add strawberry puree to custard and chill well.

9.Place the starwberry custard in a electric mixer and   beat it  for 2-3 minutes on high speed  ,it will become light and fluffy as it has cream in it.

10.Chill it again until its ready to use.( This is delicious dessert too, so if u r tasting it be careful ,u wont be able to stop yourself from eating it and u may end up with very less filling for the cake ! )

 

 

 

Ingredients for white chocolate ganache

 

Double cream - 100ml

White chocolate - 100gms ( I used Greens and Black's)

Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp

Butter - 1 tbs

Method

1.In a pan simmer the double cream  when it starts to bubble,turn of the heat.

2.Add the chocolate,once the chocolate has melted add vanilla extract ,butter and give it a good mix and allow it to cool.

 

Assembling and decorating the cake

1.Place the first cake on a cake stand /board and spread the strawberry mousse on top .

2.Place the second cake on top of it and cover the whole cake with white chocolate ganache.

3.Melt some chocolate in a microwave and pour it into a piping bag and gently snip the edge of the piping bag and do some randon drizzles on top of the cake,also draw a border with it and allow the chocolate to drizzle from the top to the bottom leaving some gap in between.

4.Whip some whipping cream and pipe some swirls on the middle and the borders and place the strawberries as u like and decorate.