Surprise Chantilly Cake

I'm known for baking cakes when a birthday is around the corner - apart from my brother-in-law who demands I bake every weekend!

Now I'm not a fan of cream cakes but my boyfriend and his family are, so I decided to create a cake in the style of Patisserie Valerie but using simple ingredients.

I did some sketching and planning beforehand as I was making something I've never tried before and didn't have a recipe to follow. 

The cake is made from vanilla and chocolate Victoria sponge, with Chantilly cream and slices of strawberries, a white chocolate topping and decorated with dark chocolate dipped strawberries oh and sponge fingers.

I haven't thought of a name for the cake so suggestions are welcome :)

Here's the full recipe below :)

Recipe

Cake

150g self-raising flour, sifted

150g soft butter

150g sugar 

3 eggs

1.5 level tsps of baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

1 tsp vanilla essence

Strawberry Chantilly Cream Filling

250ml double cream

200g of strawberries

1 tbsp of vanilla essence

2 tsp of icing sugar (sifted)

Decoration

5 strawberries or as many as preferred

75g of white chocolate

50g of dark chocolate 

200g sponge fingers

How To Make

Grease three 20cm/8" sandwich tins and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees/Gas Mark 4.

Break the eggs in to a small bowl, add the vanilla essence and beat with a fork.

Sieve the flour and baking powder in to a larger bowl and add the butter, sugar and eggs.

Beat for 2-3 minutes with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

Divide mixture between the 3 sandwich tins (adding cocoa powder to the last one and mixing well before pouring into the sandwich tin).

Bake for 25-30mins, until they have risen and are golden brown. 

Transfer cakes on to a cooling rack.

Once the cakes have cooled, it's time to make the strawberry Chantilly cream filling.

Cut the strawberries into small pieces and put to one side.

Pour the double cream, vanilla essence and icing sugar into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Scoop 4 tablespoons of the cream in to a small bowl and keep to one side (for the sponge fingers). 

Add the strawberries to Chantilly cream the and stir in with a spoon. 

Place one of the Victoria sponge cakes on to a cake board/plate and spoon half of the strawberry Chantilly cream on top. Place the chocolate sponge layer on top and use the remaining Chantilly cream. Add the last Victoria sponge cake on top.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Spread evenly on to the top of the cake and place the cake in the fridge to set.

Using another bowl, melt the dark chocolate and dip the strawberries into it. These can be put in the fridge to help the chocolate set faster.

Once both the white chocolate and dark chocolate have set, use the Chantilly cream that you put aside earlier to fix the sponge fingers to the outside of the cake.

Decorate the top of the cake with the chocolate dipped strawberries. 

As it was a birthday cake I used a dark chocolate icing tube - which was very difficult to write with (so excuse the 5 year old handwriting!).

For an optional final touch, add a metre of coloured ribbon and tie a bow :) 

I always look forward to seeing what it looks like when it's cut, so just in case you're curious too.. Here's a slice :)