stracciatella cake

This cake was created on Father's Day, because I initially thought that Father's Day was only the following week, and so had to make something with what I had at home. It's a simple cake, but ideal for anyone who, like myself, loves chocolate!

It is best to make the base and filling the previous day or early in the morning because it has to harden in the freezer before you can spread the ganache layer on top. So there is some planning involved.

Good luck!

Ingredients:

For the base:

• 1 egg
• 30 g sugar
• 15 g almond flour
• 10 g corn starch
• 5 g cocoa powder

For the stracciatella filling:

• 250 g pastry cream
• 274 g whipping cream (+whipping cream stiffener)
• 80 g sugar
• 2,5 gelatin leaves
• 100 g dark chocolate, chopped

For the ganache:

• 100 g dark chocolate
• 80 g whipping cream
• 20 g butter

For the chocolate whipped cream:

• 125 g whipping cream
• 20 g powdered sugar
• 10 g cocoa powder
• whipping cream stiffener or 2 tsp arrowoot powder (soy-based whipping cream)
• 75 g dark chocolate

Proces:

For the bottom:

1. Place the egg with the sugar and salt in a saucepan and heat to 37 degrees while beating. Beat the mixture until pale and thick. It should come off like a ribbon.
2. Fold in the sifted mixture of cornflour, almond flour and cocoa powder.
3. Pour the batter into a greased and with baking paper lined cake pan with a diameter of 15 cm.
4. Bake +/- ten minutes at 175 degrees.
5. Let cool.

For the filling

1. Line a 15 cm high cake tin with cling film on the bottom and acetate foil around the edges. Put the cake bottom in already.
2. Finely chop the chocolate.
3. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water.
4. Keep 40 g of the whipped cream aside, heat it up and dissolve the gelatin in it.
5. Whip the rest of the whipped cream with the icing sugar (and vanilla flavouring) lightly, add the gelatin mixture and beat until you have a firm cream.
6. Fold in the pastry cream and chocolate and fill the cake pan with the mixture.
7. Put aluminum foil and/or cling foil around the cake pan and pop it into the freezer.

For the ganache:

1. Place chocolate, butter and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl, melt at 30-second intervals.
2. Allow the ganache to thicken slightly to make it easier to spread.
3. Now comes the hard part...Remove the frozen cake from the cake pan and remove cling foil and acetate wrap. Place the cake on a cake drum.
4. Now you get to work with the ganache and a cake spatula. Just put it on I would say, it can look rustic. Whatever you do, try not to overwork the ganache or it will lose its shine.
5. I usually put two layers of ganache, in between I let the cake set in the fridge.
   

For the chocolate whipped cream:

1. Place the whipping cream, cocoa powder, icing sugar and arrowroot powder/whipped cream stiffener in a bowl and beat until firm.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave and fold it under the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
3. Let it set a bit before you finish the cake with nice swirls.

Party!