Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake

Makes 16 servings

INGREDIENTS
Cake

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter,
• diced
• 18 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
• chocolate, chopped
• 6 large eggs

Ganache

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
• chocolate, chopped
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Strawberry Glaze

• 2 cups strawberries, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• red food coloring (optional)

10 large strawberries to decorate the cake

PREPARATION
For Strawberry Glaze:

1. Combine the strawberries, water and sugar in a bowl and squish with clean hands to gently crush the fruit, releasing its juice.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for six hours or overnight.
3. Pass the mixture through a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing the berries to release as much juice as possible. Discard the fruit pulp.
4. Add the cornstarch to the berry juice, whisking until smooth.
5. Pour the mixture in to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened — approximately 2 minutes.

Note: Adjust the heat as needed while cooking to maintain a gentle simmer and prevent burning.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and food coloring.
Cool the glaze until it is just warm before using.

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter
2. 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter
3. parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil
4. to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil
5. over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from
6. heat.
7. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate
8. and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add
9. eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into
10. prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to
11. roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
12. Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently
13. shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool
14. completely in pan.

For ganache:

1. Bring whipping cream to
2. simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and
3. whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to
4. distribute ganache evenly over top of cake.

Dip strawberries in glaze (only up to half of the strawberries) Place strawberries to decorate the cake. Press each lightly strawberry.
Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and
keep refrigerated.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides.
Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.