food

Black and White Strawberry Layer Cake

Friends are like this cake - they just make life better.

food

Black and White Strawberry Layer Cake

Friends are like this cake - they just make life better.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix
  • 1 box chocolate cake mix

Strawberry Jam

  • 1 cup strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup sugar

Filling

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 1/4 cups strawberries, for assembly

Chocolate Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp corn syrup
  • 2 cups chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup white chocolate, melted

To Assemble

  • Vanilla and chocolate cake
  • Ricotta mixture
  • Strawberry jam
  • Strawberries

Steps

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and line 2 x round, 8-inch loose-bottomed cake pans.
  2. To make the cakes, follow the box instructions and bake.
  3. Once baked, allow to cool then slice in half across the middle, you will end up with 2 vanilla cakes and 2 chocolate cakes.

Strawberry Jam

  1. In a saucepan set over a medium heat, add strawberries and sugar.
  2. With the back of a fork or potato masher, crush the strawberries slightly.
  3. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and then cook for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent the jam from sticking.
  4. Remove from the heat. Set aside to cool completely.

Filling

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and lemon zest until completely smooth.

Chocolate Glaze

  1. In a pan over a low heat, melt the heavy cream and corn syrup.
  2. In a clean bowl, add the chocolate and when the cream is hot, pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for 3 minutes then whisk to combine.
  3. Remove the cake from the fridge, un-mold from the ring mold, and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
  4. Pour the chocolate over the cake so that it spreads evenly out around the edges and drips down the sides of the cake to cover.
  5. Pipe the melted white chocolate in concentric circles over the top of the cake.
  6. With a wooden skewer, drag from the center of the cake outwards to the edge, forming feathered lines.
  7. Continue across the whole cake so that it is covered in a web design.
  8. Allow the coating to cool slightly, then remove the cake to a cake stand and top with fresh strawberries.

To Assemble

  1. In the bottom of a deep 8-inch ring mold, place a vanilla cake.
  2. Top with a third of the ricotta mixture and a few spoonfuls of the cooled jam, using a wooden skewer to swirl the jam into the cream.
  3. Top with a layer of fresh strawberries then place a chocolate cake on top and layer in the same order; cream, jam, and strawberries.
  4. Repeat these layers with the remaining vanilla and chocolate cakes.
  5. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.