Strawberry and Red Velvet Gateau

This is a variation on the classic Red Velvet cake with the addition of strawberry puree and covered in dark chocolate ganache.

Ingredients serve 16

250 g butter

500g caster sugar (3 cups)

4 eggs (200g)

2 tbls red food colour

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

4 tbls cocoa powder (30g)

300 g strawberry puree

300 ml buttermilk500 g plain flour (3 cups)

50 g corn flour (6 tbls)

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Method

Preheat oven to 160ºC normal bake. Grease a 23 cm round cake tin and cover the bottom with a piece of baking paper. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add eggs little by little and stir well each time. Add red food colouring, vanilla, salt and the cocoa, mix well. Add strawberry puree and blend evenly. Alternatively blend buttermilk and flour into the cake mixture. Stir the baking soda into the apple vinegar and add to the cake mixture and blend until batter is smooth. Place the cake mixture in the tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and allow cooling for at least 20 minutes before turning out of the tin. Allow cooling in the fridge before cutting into four horizontal layers. Sandwich the cake together with dark chocolate ganache. Cover the cake with chocolate ganache and press chocolate shavings on the side. Allow cooling in the fridge before cutting into 16 pieces. Decorate with strawberry mousse or buttercream rosettes and chocolate pieces.

Note: Try using other fruits such as raspberry or cherry instead of strawberry.