What a sweet and funny idea  for a birthday cake! I made this chocolate biscuit and strawberry layer cake for my brother's 4th birthday.

 

Time needed:

active 30 mins, baking 20 mins, rest 90 mins

total 140 mins

 

Level: Easy

 

Utensils: Baking form with 24 cm diameter (or square with 24 cm side length), bottom of baking tin covered with baking paper, blender, multiple bowls

For the chocolate biscuit

80g sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tbsp hot water                                                                 Add all together and mix well for approximately 5 mins until the                                                                                                  batter is lighter. Preheat oven to 200°C


4 egg whites

1 pinch of salt

3 tbsp sugar

 

 

 

In a separate bowl: Whisk together egg whites and salt until stiff. Add half of the sugar. Continue whisking until shiny. Add the rest of the sugar.

 


80g flour

3 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)

0.5 tsp baking powder

 

 

 

 

Mix all together in a separate bowl. Then, combine all three bowls with a spatula, fill batter in form and bake immediately in the middle of the oven for 20 min. While baking prepare strawberry filling.

  For the strawberry filling

 7 gelatine leaves Soak in cool water.

 400g strawberries Cut out the green and blend.

100g (whole) cream (if you use half crean, I recommend letting the filling sit overnight)

Whisk until stiff.


76g sugar

250g mascarpone

250g quark

1 packet (10g) vanilla sugar

 

 

 

In a separate bowl,mix together with the strawberry purée.


 Squeeze out the gelatine and melt in a pot on low heat. Add 2 tbsp of the strawberry cream and quickly mix together. Then, add the rest of the strawberry cream. Add stiff cream and set aside. Prepare mud layer (chocolate ganache).

For the chocolate ganache

250g dark chocolate (e.g. crémant, 47%)Chop finely, put in a wide bowl.

1 dl cream (half or whole)

0.5 dl milk

 

 

Heat in a saucepan. Pour over chocolate and mix until chocolate is melted. Once the ganache is cool, mix until creamy and ready to spread.


To decorate

Marcipan

60 pieces of "Hüppen" or Amicelli (KitKats also work, need less)

 

 

 

Cut the chocolate biscuit length-wise. Put the first layer in the form. Pour strawberry cream over it and smoothen with spatula. Add the second biscuit layer. Pour ganache over and smoothen with spatula, leave some ganache to decorate. Cake in the fridge for at least 1.5 hours. Meanwhile form little piggies.

Just before serving: Place piggies on the cake and stick "Hüppen" around the cake, using the leftover ganache as glue. Enjoy!