Author: Susan Murray, www.awomancooksinasheville.com
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
1boxwhite cake mix15 oz
1cflour
1csugar
½tspsalt
3eggs
1 1/3cmilk
2tbspcanola oil
1csour cream
2tspvanilla
1packagefreeze dried strawberries1.2 oz
FOR THE CRUMB
½csugar
1tbspbrown sugarpacked
3/4ccake flour
½tspbaking powder
½tspsalt
¼ccanola oil
1tspvanilla
FOR THE STRAWBERRY JAMoptional
1quartstrawberries
½csugar
2tbsplemon juice
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
1 ½cheavy cream
12ozdark chocolateat least 50-55% cocoa solids
Pinchof salt
Instructions
MAKE THE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease 2 8” cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Combine the cake mix, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a mixer and stir together. Add the eggs, milk, oil, and sour cream to the dry ingredients and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
Put the freeze-dried strawberries in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until it is powdered.
Fold the strawberry powder into the batter until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 55-60 minutes until the cakes are pulling away from the sides of the pans and a tester comes out clean. The internal temperature should reach 200 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE CRUMB
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a mixer. Stir on low until mixed. Add the oil and vanilla. Increase the speed to medium until the batter starts to come together in large clumps.
Pour the batter onto a parchment lined sheet, breaking up any overly large clumps.
Bake for 20 minutes until just starting to brown. Stir once during the baking.
Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
MAKE THE STRAWBERRY JAM
This is optional. You can use a good quality store-bought jam if you prefer
Hull the strawberries and chop them coarsely. (Can also be done in a food processor)
Put the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Let it boil until the jam has thickened. This can take 10-30 minutes depending on the size of the pan. It is done when it reaches 220 on a candy thermometer and/or it drops off the side of a spoon in a thick drop (or sheet).
Transfer to a jar or bowl and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Coarsely chop the chocolate and put it in a heat proof bowl.
Heat the cream until it is almost boiling. Pour it over the chocolate.
Let it stand for five minutes. Add the salt and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth.
Let the chocolate cool until it is room temperature. About 2 hours.
Once the chocolate is cooled, use a mixer to whip it until it is thickened and holds a stiff peak.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
Place the bottom layer on a cake board or plate. Brush 2-3 tablespoons of the soaking liquid over the top. Pipe a ring of chocolate ganache around the outer edge of the top. Spread ½ to ¾ of a cup of strawberry jam in the center of the chocolate ring. Sprinkle the cake crumb all over the top of the jam.
Place the second layer on top of the first. Brush the top with soaking liquid. Spread strawberry jam over the top of the cake. Pipe chocolate ganache over the jam and use a spatula to even it out. Spread the remaining chocolate on the sides of the cake. Finish with a sprinkling of crumb over the chocolate. Garnish the finished cake with chocolate covered strawberries.