ON THE COVER Simply Red Mirror glaze cake
Make a showstopping Valentine’s Day treat to wow your loved one – we show you how!
INGREDIENTS (Serves 12) u 1 x 5cm deep, 18cm diameter chocolate cake – see method below u 175g extra dark chocolate,
72% cocoa, broken into pieces u 60g liquid glucose u 240ml double cream u 60g unsalted butter u Approx 15 medium to large strawberries + extra to decorate, trimmed u 200g red coloured vanilla
butter icing For the mirror glaze: u 200ml double cream u 175g caster sugar u 5 sheets leaf gelatine u ½tsp natural berry extract u Red food colour paste or gel u Red and pink sprinkles u Chocolate hearts,
to decorate Scoop out the centre of the cake using a metal spoon, leaving about 1cm depth cake in the base and around the sides – use the crumbs for truffles or cake pops. Melt the chocolate, liquid glucose, cream and butter together very gently in a saucepan, stirring, until blended together. Stand for about 20min until cooler but still pourable. Put the cake on a same-size cake tin base. Arrange strawberries, flat side down, side by side, over the base of the cake. Pour the slightly warm chocolate cream over the strawberries and fill to the top. Smooth the top. Chill for at least 2 hours until set. Spread the red icing smoothly all over the cake to cover completely and return to the fridge. TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE Preheat the oven to 170°C (Fan Oven 150°C, Gas Mark 3). Grease and line a 7cm deep, 19cm diameter cake tin. Beat 225g soft unsalted butter and 225g soft dark brown sugar together for 2min, then whisk in 4 large eggs. Sift 250g plain flour, 50g cocoa powder and 2tsp baking powder on top, add 2tbsp whole milk and gently mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for about 1hr 15min, until risen and firm to the touch – a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean when the cake is cooked. Cool for 5min, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Place a fine sieve over a heatproof jug and strain the glaze. Leave to cool for about 30 min, until the syrup feels only slightly warm – take care that the glaze doesn’t cool too much, otherwise it will start to set and be difficult to pour. Ideally cool to around 25-27°C and use a food probe to gauge the temperature. Place a small upturned bowl in the centre of a tray with the cake on top. Carefully pour glaze over the cake, making sure all areas are covered and that the excess is caught in the tray. Use the jelly in the tray to spoon over any unglazed areas of the cake. Keep the cake on the tray, and put back in the fridge for 30min to set.
For the glaze, put cream and sugar in a saucepan; add 200ml water. Heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2min to make a creamy syrup. Cool for 10min. Soak gelatine in cold water for 5min. Drain, squeeze out excess water and stir into the hot syrup until dissolved. Add the extract and red colouring to make a vibrant shade. Lift the cake off the bowl and put back in the fridge. Scrape jelly from the tray into a saucepan and gently re-melt – do not boil. Strain the jelly and cool as before, then pour over the dessert for a second time. Chill for 30min. Trim away any drips from the bottom of the cake. Dust edges with cake sprinkles. Transfer to a serving plate, decorate and serve.