Summer Cake
Description
The recipe won't take much time. These little cakes are much healthier than regular ones. Of course, you'll need to put in a bit of effort, but it's worth it. Use only high-quality chocolate, and when melting it over a water bath, make sure not a single drop of water gets into the chocolate, otherwise it won't work. Serve the cake immediately, as it contains fresh berries inside. Serve it chilled.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the necessary ingredients, especially since there are very few of them. The strawberries should be fresh, clean, and completely free of any signs of spoilage, ideally freshly picked from the garden. Wash the cherries and lay them out on a towel to dry.
- 2
Step 2
For the cake, you need large berries, preferably of uniform size. Sort through the strawberries, removing any berries showing even the slightest sign of spoilage or damage. Also discard any berries without stems, as they will absorb excess water during washing. Place the berries in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water, then allow all the water to drain completely. Spread the berries in a single layer on paper towels and let them dry completely. It's best to use a hairdryer on a cool setting, or very carefully pat them dry with paper towels. The berries must be completely dry. Immediately divide them into three groups and arrange them in 3 by 3 rows so they lie as close together as possible. You should end up with three groups of nine berries each.
- 3
Step 3
Pierce each strawberry with two wooden skewers from the stem side so they hold the berry securely. If the skewers are thick, you can use just one.
- 4
Step 4
To ensure the chocolate adheres well to the berries and doesn't melt in your hands or at room temperature, the chocolate needs to be tempered. To do this, chop the chocolate finely and place it in a bowl—in my case, small chocolate callets.
- 5
Step 5
Remove the bowl and measure the temperature of the chocolate; it will be approximately 40-44 degrees. Now you need to cool it down to 35 degrees, and a cooking thermometer will help with this.
- 6
Step 6
Chop the cocoa butter and add it to the chocolate. Mix until smooth, then continue stirring and cool to 30 degrees.
- 7
Step 7
Take each cherry by the stem and dip it into the chocolate, almost all the way. Remove it, let the excess chocolate drip off, and place it onto a plate. Set aside to let the chocolate harden.
- 8
Step 8
Now you need to work very quickly, as the chocolate hardens fast on the strawberries and also starts to cool down. Dip each strawberry into the chocolate, then shake off the excess chocolate.
- 9
Step 9
Place the chocolate-covered strawberries on a tray as close together as possible and let them set. This will take just a few minutes. Remove the skewers.
- 10
Step 10
After that, make a second layer, starting from the middle berry of the last row, when viewed from the toe end. Let it set and make the third row. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, decorate and serve on the holiday table.
- 11
Step 11
Decorate the cake with golden sprinkles, arrange cherries in a circle at the bottom, and serve.
- 12
Step 12
Done.