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Gesine’s Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Puff Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 121 reviews

Gesine’s Chocolate and Strawberry Cream Puff Cake is an elegant layered dessert that combines a tender cake base with luscious chocolate and strawberry fillings, surrounded by fresh strawberries and filled mini cream puffs. This show-stopping cake is finished with a smooth ganache glaze and decorative fresh strawberries, perfect for special occasions or indulgent gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 1 batch batter from King Arthur’s Original Cake Pan Cake
  • 8 to 10 Easy Mini Puffs

Chocolate Ganache

  • 1 2/3 cups (283g) chopped chocolate
  • 1 cup (204g) freshly prepared Chocolate Ganache, still warm
  • 1 1/2 cups (306g) Chocolate Ganache, chilled

Pastry Cream

  • 2 cups (454g) freshly prepared Pastry Cream, still warm
  • 1 cup (227g) freshly prepared Pastry Cream, still warm

Gelatin

  • 1/4-ounce (7g) packet plain gelatin, softened by sprinkling over 2 tablespoons (28g) cold water

Whipped Cream

  • 2 cups (454g) heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Strawberries and Jam

  • 1/4 cup (85g) strawberry jam
  • 14 large fresh strawberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat and Prepare Cake Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch round springform pan to prevent sticking.
  2. Bake the Cake: Prepare the cake batter as per King Arthur’s original cake pan cake instructions and pour it into the greased pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before loosening sides and cooling completely in the pan.
  3. Trim and Freeze Cake: Once fully cool, remove the springform ring. Trim the top to level the cake to 3/4-inch height. Replace the ring, cover, and freeze while making fillings.
  4. Prepare Chocolate Filling: Make chocolate ganache using 1 2/3 cups chopped chocolate. Place 1 cup warm ganache in a bowl, stir in 2 cups warm pastry cream.
  5. Add Gelatin: Dissolve softened gelatin by microwaving gently at low power in 10-second intervals until liquid. Stir gelatin into chocolate ganache and pastry cream mixture thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.
  6. Prepare Strawberry Filling: In a bowl, mix strawberry jam with 1 cup warm pastry cream. Cover with plastic wrap touching surface and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
  7. Prepare Strawberries: Trim tops and leaves off 12 strawberries and cut them lengthwise in halves. Remove cake from freezer and line the inside of the cake pan sides with strawberries cut side facing out, alternating their direction.
  8. Prepare Mini Cream Puffs: Make a hole in the bottom of 8 to 10 puffs large enough for a Bismarck piping tip.
  9. Fill the Mini Puffs: Transfer strawberry filling to a pastry bag with Bismarck tip, then fill each puff until heavy and fully filled. Arrange the puffs in a circle on top of the chocolate cake layer.
  10. Combine Chocolate Filling: Gently whisk the cooled chocolate pastry cream to loosen, then fold in whipped heavy cream for a light mousse texture.
  11. Assemble Cake Layers: Spoon or pipe chocolate filling over the cake and filled cream puffs, coating tops of puffs entirely. Avoid filling seeping between strawberries and pan sides.
  12. Freeze Cake: Smooth the surface of the chocolate filling flush with pan rim using an offset spatula. Cover and freeze the cake for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
  13. Glaze With Ganache: Gently reheat 1 cup chilled ganache over a hot water bath until pourable. Spread evenly over the frozen cake surface with an offset spatula.
  14. Decorate With Piped Ganache: Put remaining 1/2 cup ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a small open writing tip; pipe decorative circles around the cake perimeter.
  15. Top With Strawberry Slices: Trim tops of remaining 2 strawberries, slice horizontally into circles, and arrange decoratively on the cake top.
  16. Remove Springform and Chill: Warm sides of the springform gently with a blow dryer or damp warm towel to release. Refrigerate for a few hours to thaw before serving. Cut with sharp knife dipped in hot water between slices for clean cuts.
  17. Store Leftovers: Wrap leftovers well and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Notes

  • Use fresh, ripe strawberries for best flavor and appearance.
  • Ensure gelatin is fully dissolved to avoid lumps.
  • Whip cream to stiff peaks for stable folding into fillings.
  • Chilling and freezing steps are essential for clean assembly and slicing.
  • For best results, prepare all components a day ahead to allow flavors to meld.
  • Use a warm knife for slicing to maintain clean cake edges.

Keywords: chocolate cake, strawberry cream puff cake, chocolate ganache, pastry cream, cream puffs, strawberry dessert, layered cake

Find it online: https://cheflenacooks.com/gesines-chocolate-and-strawberry-cream-puff-cake-recipe/