This is a rich, delicious cake that was a huge success with my entire family. The white chocolate in the cake batter and the ganache topping adds a richness to this cake that I find perfectly pairs with the strawberry filling and coulis sauce. While the cake is made of several different parts, all are easy to whip together. The cake can be made in advance and left in the refrigerator for a day or two before serving. Delicious! Enjoy!
White Chocolate Vanilla Cake, White Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Filling & Strawberry Coulis Sauce
Makes one large cake, serves 8-12 generously
White Chocolate Vanilla Cake:
Butter and line two round 8" or 9" pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Melt together - you can melt in 30-60 second increments in a microwave at 50% power:
4 oz high quality white chocolate
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Beat in a mixer until light and frothy (I find it takes at least 5 minutes):
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
Mix into eggs and sugar mixture:
chocolate/butter mixture from above
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Divide batter between prepared baking pans. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, until set in center.
Strawberry Coulis:
Wash strawberries from a 2 pint container, saving a few to decorate the top, if desired.
In a medium pot, combine:
strawberries, cleaned and diced
4-6 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Puree with a stick blender, then return to heat and cook a few more minutes. Strain coulis sauce with a sieve to remove seeds. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
Strawberry Frosting:
In a mixer, beat together several minutes until fluffy and smooth:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
3 Tbsp high quality strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow fluff
Use the strawberry frosting to fill the cake and spread around edges, for a more even look. If you're wanting things really neatly done, you can refrigerate the cake at this point until the frosting is harder, and smooth it more evenly.
White Chocolate Ganache:
Over medium heat, bring to a boil in a small saucepan or frying pan:
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
Remove from heat and add, stirring until melted and smooth:
6 1/2 oz high quality white chocolate
Place in a bowl to cool. You can pour over the cake when it's mostly cooled, or once fully cooled this ganache can be whipped in a mixer and then spread on the cake, which I find works best for me.
A delicious piece of white chocolate vanilla cake, filled with strawberry frosting, topped with a white chocolate ganache and served with homemade strawberry coulis sauce. Decadent? Yes!
I somehow managed to only have really huge strawberries the day I made this, but they still looked cute on the top. It was the beauty upon serving, however, that really added the wow factor.
White Chocolate Vanilla Cake, White Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Filling & Strawberry Coulis Sauce
Makes one large cake, serves 8-12 generously
White Chocolate Vanilla Cake:
Butter and line two round 8" or 9" pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Melt together - you can melt in 30-60 second increments in a microwave at 50% power:
4 oz high quality white chocolate
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
Beat in a mixer until light and frothy (I find it takes at least 5 minutes):
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
Mix into eggs and sugar mixture:
chocolate/butter mixture from above
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Divide batter between prepared baking pans. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, until set in center.
Cakes separated in pans prior to baking.
Let cool 5 minutes before carefully removing from pans to complete cooling on wire racks.Strawberry Coulis:
Wash strawberries from a 2 pint container, saving a few to decorate the top, if desired.
In a medium pot, combine:
strawberries, cleaned and diced
4-6 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Puree with a stick blender, then return to heat and cook a few more minutes. Strain coulis sauce with a sieve to remove seeds. Refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
Strawberry Frosting:
In a mixer, beat together several minutes until fluffy and smooth:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp milk
3 Tbsp high quality strawberry jam
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow fluff
Use the strawberry frosting to fill the cake and spread around edges, for a more even look. If you're wanting things really neatly done, you can refrigerate the cake at this point until the frosting is harder, and smooth it more evenly.
Strawberry frosting filled White Chocolate Cake, ready for ganache topping!
White Chocolate Ganache:
Over medium heat, bring to a boil in a small saucepan or frying pan:
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 Tbsp butter
3/4 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
Remove from heat and add, stirring until melted and smooth:
6 1/2 oz high quality white chocolate
Place in a bowl to cool. You can pour over the cake when it's mostly cooled, or once fully cooled this ganache can be whipped in a mixer and then spread on the cake, which I find works best for me.
Word of warning, working with warm ganache can be tricky. Too warm and it will just spread, but ooze down around the cake. I find it far easier to work with cooled ganache, whip it and top the cake. It also gives a lighter appearance to the final cake.
I'm drooling just thinking how tasty this cake was to eat. Yum!
