SEMI NAKED STRAWBERRY DRIP CAKE.


this is the cake I made for my daughters birthday.

it was made with.....

double sponge
strawberry flavoured cream
strawberry flavoured buttercream icing
chocolate ganache

STRAWBERRY CREAM

600 mls thickened cream
1/2 bottle "queens"strawberry essence
6 drops pink food colour
1 cup icing sugar

using an electric mixer, whip all together until thick and holding peaks well.

BUTTERCREAM
if you want to cover the whole cake you will need...

250 grams butter, softened
4 cups icing sugar
3 tablespoons thickened cream
6 drops pink food colour
1/2 bottle strawberry essence

using an electric mixer, cream the butter.

add the essence and the colour.

add 1/2 the icing sugar and beat well

add the cream and the rest of the icing sugar and beat until well combined.

halve the ingredients for a semi naked cake.

GANACHE

1/2 cup dark chocolate button melts
1/2 cup thickened cream

in a heat proof bowl over a pot of boiling water, melt the cream and chocolate
together, stirring,

YOU DO THIS LAST ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER FILLING AND ICING THE SPONGE.

to put together.........

if you are making a semi naked cake you will need a cake turntable or lazy susan.

cut the sponges in half , place the bottom of 1 sponge on a cake board and cover the sponge with a generous amount of cream. top with the other 1/2 of sponge.

cover with more cream them place the bottom of the next sponge on top. cover with more cream
then place the other half on top of that.

You could also put some strawberry jam in the layers if you like.

refrigerate while making the butter cream.

thickly cover the top and sides of the layered sponge with the butter cream. if you just want a covered cake, smooth the top and sides with a spatula and put in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.

for the semi naked cake.. place the cake (on its board) on to the turntable.  cover the sides and top of the layered sponge with a thinner layer of icing.

using a long spatula, handle up, blade down, press against the cake, top to bottom and slowly move
the turntable around. you are now just scraping the icing back off.

don't remove all of it, refer to pic. just make sure its smooth.  It took me a while because I have never done it before.

refrigerate cake for an hour. has to be cold so the ganache doesn't make the icing run.

make the ganache.

when the cake is cold, apply the ganache with a teaspoon.

work around the edges first using a small amount of chocolate at a time, so that drips just run over the side and down the cake.. space the drips as you go.

once the edges are done and the drips have run, carefully fill in the rest of the top with the ganache.

don't push to the edges or more will run over the sides.

refrigerate till ganache has set and decorate as desired.

I used a good quality atificial rose, some pink ribbon and pink pearl decorations.

I scattered some real rose petals, more pearls and a few strawberries around the bottom.