White chocolate strawberry cream cake

This was the cake I made for Esther's birthday for which I am proud of the decoration. :p

White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cake

For the sponge:

1) 150g white chocolate

2) 200g unsalted butter, diced

3) 3 large eggs

4) 150g caster sugar

5) 200g self-raising flour

For the filling:

1) 500g ripe strawberries (250g for filling and 250g for topping)

2) juice of half an orange

3) 1 tablespoon of caster sugar

4) 100g white chocolate

5) 150ml double or whipping cream, whipped

Steps:

1) Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2) To make the sponge, break up the chocolate and melt very gently with the butter. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool until needed.

3) Break the eggs into a bowl. Add sugar. Whisk until the mixture is extremely thick and foamy. It's ready when the whisk leaves a ribbon-like trail of mixture when you lift it out of the mixture. Gently stir the chocolate mixture then whisk it briefly into the egg mixture. A soon as it is combined, avoid over-mixing. Add the flour and gently fold in using a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture between two tins (9 inch springform cake tin), and spread evenly.

4) Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes until a light golden brown and the sponges spring back when gently pressed. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins, just to loosen the sponges, turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

5) To make the filling, wipe the strawberries and save half of good-looking ones for decoration. Thinly slice the rest into a bowl. Add the orange juice and the sugar and mix gently. Leave for 10 minutes for the flavours to develop. Grate the white chocolate and gently fold half into the whipped cream. Save the rest for decoration.

6) To assemble, set one sponge on a serving plate and spoon on the strawberries and juice. Cover with the chocolate cream then top with the second sponge. Decorate.

Recipe taken from "Divine Heavenly chocolate recipes with a heart" by Linda Collister.