A 'Spidey-Web Design' Birthday Cake!

I was glad when she relented promptly to my mail on using her cake design! Deeba of Passionate Baker, has been apt for the title she blogs on, her pictures are gorgeous, marvellous choice of recipe and more so an intriguing write-up! THANKS DEEBA!! Chocolate - Strawberry is such a winning combo!!

Making cake from scratch is not my cup of tea currently! Here is the decoration I tried to replicate! I have no hands on experience in baking , filling and frosting, but my frenzy and eagerness for baking for my kid emerged greatly making me google over many aspects of baking-filling-frosting videos to obtain what is shown above. I have made it with ingredients that put me to convinience and at ease.

Ingredients :
For the Chocolate Sponge, I used a Betty Crocker's 18 ounce Milk Chocolate mix and baked as per directions on the pack a day in advance. I baked it on a 9" springform pan, when the cake cooled, I detached the rim and leveled the cake on top, turned it upside down as it is more even at the surface, for making the frosting job more easy, left it on the bottom of the pan to serve as base.
Sprinkles - To decorate the sides.
Chocolate Curls - I used one bar of Diary Milk at room temp.

Ingredients For Filling :
1 sachet of Dream Whip
1/2 cup (115 ml) pasteurised milk
2-3 drops vanilla essence
20 strawberries (5 reserved for decoration)

Method for filling :
On a high speed, beat the milk and contents of sachet on a electric mixer till stiff peaks form, add the essence. Fill 3 tbspn of this in a decoration bag with a piping nozzle, for making the pattern. Hull the berries and chop them fine. Fold the berries gently into the whipped cream at the time of actual filling.

Ingredients for Ganache :
200 ml of whipping cream
200 gms of Hershey's semi sweet chocolate chips

Method for Ganache :
In a pan heat the cream till it simmers. Take off the heat source, on counter top. Add the chocolate chips and stir in circular motion for 4-5 minutes with a spatula till the chocolate melts and mixes up well with the cream. It has to be liquid in consistency. Prepare 30 minutes ahead of assembling. Allow it to cool, as it cools it will obtain a spreadable consistency.

Ref for ganache : http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/1313_ganache.htm

Ref for chocolate curls : http://video.about.com/candy/How-to-Make-Chocolate-Curls.htm

ASSEMBLING :

:: Cut the cake in two layers. (At this point place a large parchment paper below the plate.)
:: Fill the base layer with strawberry filling, place the top layer on it.
:: Pour the ganache on the top and spread on the surface and sides evenly by moving the base plate in tilted angle.
:: Add sprinkles on the sides with fingers, some will stick, some would fall off.











:: Pipe a spiral begining from centre moving outwards. With a wooden pick, angled at 60 degrees from the cake, drag a line first from centre to out, the next line from edge towards the centre. Continue this till the pattern is formed.
:: Along the rim, decorate with chocolate curls.
:: Finally place the strawberries for decoration. Slice few, decorate the top.
:: Refrigerate it for few hours, take out 30 mins prior to cutting.




Note : Do the strawberry decoration prior to cutting the cake for fresh look.











HAVE A BLAST AND ENJOY THIS YUM-YUM CHOCOLATI-BERRRRRRYYY CAKE!!!






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