For Hanukkah Fran bought me a set of entremet cake pans, so of course, I had to try them. As I had decided to make a clock face cake with mirror glaze for New Year’s eve I thought this would be a good chance to try both. I made a chocolate cake with chocolate mirror glaze for Kathy’s birthday and fresh strawberry entremet cakes for our Christmas celebration at Karen’s.

I added a little red food coloring to the strawberry cake and green to the whipped cream frosting to so they were looking a lot like Christmas, everywhere we go. I thought the texture of the strawberry cake was a little close. I may try a lighter cake and add chopped strawberries next time.

I crumb coated the chocolate entremet and probably wouldn’t do that again. The idea is to make the cake as smooth as possible so the mirror glaze will be smooth when completed. The buttercream crumb coat was too slippery for the glaze to adhere properly. Maybe next time, just two coats of mirror, if needed at all.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pans
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups (about 14 7/8 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pans
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 cup half-and-half (equal parts heavy cream and milk to make ¾ cup)
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 7 oz.)
• 1/2 teaspoon red liquid food coloring

METHOD

1. Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat sugar and butter with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat on low speed just until incorporated after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add to sugar mixture alternately with half-and-half, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat on low speed just until combined after each addition. Fold in strawberries and red food coloring.
3. Divide batter evenly among 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
4. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Mirror Glaze

INGREDIENTS

• 10 g gelatin sheets
• 125 g water = ¼ cup to bloom gelatin
• 225 granulated sugar
• 30g cocoa powder
• 150 g chocolate
• 65 g heavy cream

METHOD

1. Bloom gelatin in ¼ cup cool water (about 10 minutes)
2. Add and mix sugar and 125 g water in a large saucepan
3. Heat to 104C (219F) remove from heat
4. Add 150 g finely chopped chocolate and mix until dissolved
5. Add 30g cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved
6. 65 g heavy cream and mix
7. Cool to 60C (140F) add gelatin, mix until dissolved
8. Sieve to remove any remaining lumps
9. Immersion blend to smooth
10. Sieve to remove any bubbles
11. Cool to 32C (90F)
12. Pour over cake being sure to coat the sides thoroughly

Gelatin Conversions

• 1 (0.25 oz.) envelope granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin = 3 sheets leaf gelatin.
• One package (1 tablespoon) of powdered gelatin equals 4 sheets.
• 4 sheets leaf gelatin = 1 (.25 oz) envelope granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon granulated gelatin; Agar-Agar, which is an alga based jellifying agent

Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
2. Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.