Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Sweetheart Cake.

Yum

This weekend, I was looking for a PROJECT. Something big that would let me make a huge mess in the kitchen, distract me from the laundry I was supposed to be doing, and involve my favorite activity: slowing walking down every single aisle at the grocery store and impulse-buying everything in the baking section. This desire for a baking project coincided with a discussion with my man-friend about Valentines Day. (Excuse me. Man-husband. He has requested a title change and will hereafter be referred to as Man-husband. He has also earned the capital “M.”

Usually during February, I am in the middle of my competitive show choir season. I spend every waking moment either DOING show choir or THINKING about show choir, and when I finally get home I usually want to soak in the bathtub, stare mindlessly at the television, pet the cat, and sleep. Last year, as I recall, my man-friend, er, Man-husband and I wound up at a drive-through Steak and Shake on Valentine’s Day and then came home and watched CNN. We’re really young and hip and exciting, you guys.

A silver lining of the pandemic is that we have had way more time together, and are actually planning a real-live date this year on V-Day.

With that on my mind, I wanted to make a Valentine’s Day-themed cake, and I wound up with a cake that is luscious, indulgent, wonderfully homemade, and honestly the most girly thing that has every emerged from my kitchen. That glitter sprinkle layer is a must, you guys. It features a chocolate chip cake, dark chocolate ganache, homemade strawberry ganache, and an Italian meringue buttercream, and I decorated with a (messy) chocolate drop, chocolate covered strawberries, and some cutesy candy pearls.

The three layers of sponge are a buttermilk-based cake with chocolate chips. I really enjoy this sponge, which is adapted from a method developed by baking superstar Christina Tosi. You have to whisk the eggs and sugar up until they are almost pure white, and then slooooowly add the fat (a neutral oil like grapeseed or canola with a hefty amount of buttermilk). You keep whisking and whisking and wind up with a fluffy batter that almost resembles meringue. You then fold in your dry ingredients, smear it on a giant sheet pan, sprinkle on the chocolate chips, and bake it. I am always amazed at the way the chocolate chips vanish into the sponge as it rises. It’s almost like magic.

For this cake I also decided to confront an old nemesis: Italian meringue buttercream. I like using meringue-based buttercreams for large layer cakes because it makes it a little lighter than cakes using American buttercream, but I…have a problem with making it.

Full-disclosure: I have never once managed to be adequately patient while making this frosting. After adding the sugar syrup to the whisked egg whites, you are supposed to keep the whisk on until the meringue is completely cool before adding the butter. This can take upwards of thirty minutes. Listen. I’m a busy girl. As anyone who has happened to try to join my lane when I am driving down Kentucky Avenue can attest, I have a pathological lack of patience. I ALWAYS start putting the butter in too soon, it starts to melt a little, and I have to put it in the freezer to save it. It is what it is. It still tastes good. Notice that a little creative editing in my video managed to hide this entire debacle, although it certainly didn’t hide the lumps of butter that I was too impatient to adequately incorporate.

If you aren’t in the mood to make the homemade strawberry jam, do not fear. Feel free to substitute with store-bought jam or even just some raw sliced berries.

Don’t skimp on that ganache. That stuff is fire.

I decorated with a chocolate drip (that I should have made thinner), candy pearls, GLITTER OF COURSE, chocolate covered strawberries, and some more buttercream, but you can do whatever floats your boat!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Sweetheart Cake

For the sponge:

• 2 sticks of butter
• 450 g sugar
• 120 g brown sugar

• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup oil (grapeseed or canola)
• 2 T vanilla

• 370 g CAKE flour
• 10 g baking powder
• 10 g salt
• 300 g chocolate chips

For the chocolate ganache:

• 2 bars (8 oz) semi sweet chocolate
• 1 cup cream
• 1 t salt

For the strawberry jam:

• 400 g strawberries, washed and quartered
• 100 g sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 3/4 c water
• 2T cornstarch
• Pinch of salt

For the Italian Meringue Buttercream:

• 225 g egg whites
• 560 g sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 3 Cups unsalted butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream your butter, sugar, and brown sugar in your stand mixer, using the whisk attachment. When it is fluffy, very slowly add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition. Continue whisking on high until it is almost pure white and doubled in size. It’ll get FLUFFY, so satisfying.

In the meantime, combine your oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. With the mixer on high, SLOWLY add this to the egg mixture in a steady stream. Putting it all in should take about 3 or 4 minutes. If it starts to separate, add a tiny pinch of flour to bring it back.

Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In two batches, add them to the batter. Mix until just combined. Give the batter a final fold by hand.

Prepare a large sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper and spraying with cooking spray. Spread the batter on the pan, smoothing it so that it is an even layer. Sprinkle on your chocolate chips. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The chocolate chips will kind of disappear into the batter, do not be alarmed. When the cake is done, cool it, and then use a cake ring to cut three six inch rounds. Also cut three squares that are six inches by six inches. You can eat the scraps, discard them, or use them to make cake pops!

To make the ganache, heat the cream on the stove until it is simmering, but not boiling. Pour it over the roughly chopped chocolate and stir until it is smooth. Season with salt if desired. Set it aside to cool. It will thicken as it cools. If it grows too thick to spread, you can always zap it in the microwave at ten second intervals until it reaches your desired consistency.

Make your strawberry jam. Put the quartered strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. While it is heating up, combine the cornstarch and water to make a slurry, and then stir it into the strawberry mixture. Cook this over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until it is thick and delicious. The longer you cook it, the thicker it should get. Pop it in the fridge to cool.

Make your frosting. Combine half of the fsugar and the water in a saucepan, and heat until it is bubbly, stirring occasionally. While it is heating, whisk the egg whites in your (very clean) stand mixer. You will have to try to time the temperature of your sugar syrup (you are going for 240 degrees F) and the moment when your meringue is ready. When your whisking egg whites are a little frothy, add the cream of tartar. There is no substitute for the cream of tartar. Whisk it to soft peaks, and then slowly add the other half of the sugar, one teaspoon at a time. It will start to get glossy and shiny. When the sugar and water mixture has reached 240 degrees F, remove it from the heat. Very slowly pour it into the edge of your egg white mixture while whisking constantly on high. Avoid pouring the hot sugar syrup directly on the whisk, it’ll splash and get you and that’s not fun.

Alright, it’s time to be patient. Keep whisking your eggs on high until they are completely cool. This could take thirty minutes or more. You can’t overwhisk them at this point… there is so much sugar in your merengue that it is very stable and will not fall. When it is COMPLETELY cool (completely!) start adding your butter, one tablespoon at a time. This is a little scary. Your meringue will appear to fall and the mixture will get soupy and weird. As you add more and more butter, it might start to look curdled. Do not fear. Trust the butter, it’s the best food in the world. Just keep whisking it, and eventually it will get smooth and nice. Dye it pink or red if you desire.

Assemble the cake using the method in the video above, and enjoy!

How are you celebrating this Valentine’s Day? Do you bake something special to share with people you love?