Chocolate Custard Cake with Strawberry and Orange Compote

Method

• Step 1
  Pre-heat oven to 170C. Line two round 22cm baking tins with baking paper on the base and grease the sides with butter.
• Step 2
  In a mixer beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until mixed through. Add slightly cooled melted chocolate, milk and flour and use fold function on mixer until well incorporated. Do not over beat.
• Step 3
  Distribute cake into the 2 pans evenly and bake for 35 minutes or until skewer comes out clean in the centre. Allow to cool in pans before turning on the racks.
• Step 4
  While the cakes are in the oven put strawberries, sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan on low heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally and pushing strawberries down with fork. When you are left with a quarter of the liquid it is ready to take off the heat and place in a clean bowl until you are ready to assemble the cake. You want it to be thick enough that you can spread on a cake but liquid enough that the cake can absorb the liquid.
• Step 5
  Add 3 tbs of cold milk to the cornflour and mix until absorbed. To make the custard heat remaining milk in a small saucepan on low heat until it is hot. Add cornflour mix, sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk until the custard begins to thicken. Pull the pan off the heat.
• Step 6
  Add 1/2 cup of custard to the eggs and mix thoroughly before adding the eggs back into the custard/pan. Put the saucepan back on low heat and beat with a wooden spoon until the custard becomes nice and thick. Place custard on a clean deep plate or bowl and cover with cling film. Cool in the fridge.
• Step 7
  As the cakes are cooling make your chocolate ganache. Heat the cream until very hot in a small pan. Take off the heat and add broken dark chocolate into the cream. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then stir the chocolate through until glossy and smooth. Allow to stand for a further 30 minutes at least to thicken before assembling the cake.
• Step 8
  Melt the white chocolate and dip in fresh strawberries half way. Allow to set on baking paper until ready to assemble.
• Step 9
  To assemble take 1 cake and put on serving platter bottom side up. Spread a generous amount of strawberry and orange compote over the cake leaving a 1 cm border all around. Add the cool custard directly on top of the compote leaving the 1cm border as previously.
• Step 10
  Take the other cake and on the bottom side of the cake spread a generous amount of the compote.
• Step 11
  Place the compote side of this cake onto the custard part of the other cake.
• Step 12
  Place the ganache on the centre of the top cake gently pushing with the spoon towards the edges to allow the ganache to gently dribble off the sides.