Again I am a year older.... yet another year passed. I haven't baked for a while, as I am on a diet and I don't have the same desire to bake as before. I had this before....a few months and it will pass, and I bake like crazy again. I think it is down to the "good" weather (as good as it can be in UK), so I rather spend my time outside, than in the dark kitchen. Ever since I did my Chocolate Fingers Celebration Cake, I wanted to do the "White" version. So here it is, for my work colleagues pleasure: my birthday cake.
White Chocolate and Strawberry Celebration Cake
with white chocolate covered biscuit fingers
For the sponge
220 g self-raising flour
220 g butter at room temperature
220 g golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
50 g dessicated coconut
220 g butter at room temperature
220 g golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs
50 g dessicated coconut
For the cream
500 g mascarpone
200 g white chocolate
For the topping
1-1.5 kg strawberry (we picked them from a PYO farm, so they don't cost a fortune)
3.2 boxes of Cadburry dream fingers
For the decoration
some red ribbon
3 pearl headed pin
Heat the oven to 180 C and prepare a 19 X 25 cm rectangle cake tin.
Put all the cake ingredients in a large bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer until you have a creamy mixture, then fold in the poppy seed.
Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 -25 minutes or until the sponge springs back when pressed. When it is ready, leave it to cool down completely then with a cake leveler divide the sponge to 3 equal parts
Mix the mascarpone with the melted white chocolate with a mixer. Wash and slice the strawberries (slice enough strawberries for two layers in between the sponges, and quarter/halve the rest for the top).
Spread 1/3 of the cream on the sponge than arrange the strawberry slices on top - repeat the process with the remaining of the sponges. Cover the side of the cake with the cream (this will act as a glue) and arrange the chocolate fingers around.
When finished cut a long enough ribbon to cover the cake and secure in the middle with two pearl headed pins (I use them as they are easy to remove and they are noticeable! but as you insert them into the cream please clean them before use).
Cut a smaller piece of ribbon and make a bow, inserting the pin in the middle (from the middle) - I hope this make sense. When finished place the bow on top of the ribbon ends- secured with the pins.
Arrange the strawberries carefully on the top ( as the cream is still soft it doesn't hold the fingers perfectly on place yet).
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and keep it in the fridge in between consumption.
