I’m not normally one for comfort food eating in the month of May. Comfort food is something I usually associate with winter. But here in our little corner of Colorado, we’ve had an unusually cool, grey, wet spring that’s kept us indoors far more than we’d otherwise expect. Warm, sunny days are way too few and far between. It’s rained 18 of the past 20 days. Coloradans don’t know what to do with ourselves with so much rain and so little sun.
It probably won’t surprise you that here in the Bronski household we head into the kitchen. This vanilla sponge layer cake with chocolate whipped cream, chocolate ganache, and diced strawberry ‘confetti’ is one recent result. It tastes rich and chocolatey, so it has the feel of comfort food, but the whipped cream, airy sponge, and fresh strawberries give it a lighter feel perfectly suited to the season.
- For the cake
- 6 eggs, room temperature and separated
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 1 tsp GF pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (94 g) Artisan Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- For the whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- For the ganache
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips/pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Other ingredients
- 8 oz strawberries, finely diced
- Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Grease and line with parchment the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.
- Whip the egg whites, salt, and 1/4 cup of sugar until stiff peaks and transfer to a separate bowl.
- Whip the egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and thick, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Whisk together the flour and xanthan gum, then add to the egg yolk mixture and mix to combine.
- Fold in the whipped egg whites.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, remove the sides of the springform, lift the cake off the bottom, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- When cool, use a serrated knife to cut the sponge cake into two layers.
- Whip all the ingredients together until soft peaks form.
- Heat the chocolate and heavy cream together, stirring until smooth and shiny/glassy. Do not boil! Let cool to near room temperature.
- Use four thin strips of aluminum foil or parchment to line the edges only of a cake plate or cake stand. These will be removed later, but keep the plate clean and catch the ganache while you’re decorating the sides of the cake.
- Place the first layer of the sponge cake on the plate or cake stand.
- Cover the top with a layer of the chocolate whipped cream.
- Place the second layer on top, with the cut side down.
- Spread the remaining whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake.
- Drizzle the ganache over the top. Use a spatula or similar to help it flow over the sides, then smooth the sides for full coverage. Remove the foil or parchment “guards.”
- Just before serving, top with the strawberry confetti.
- For the best results when slicing the cake, drip a serrated knife in hot water, wipe dry, then cut.
I made this cake for a family celebration [I am the only gluten-free person in the group]. It baked up marvellously and looked magnificent. Best of all, I received many sincere compliments on the taste of the cake!