Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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Chocolate and strawberry are such a classic flavour combination and this cake is no different. A delicious fudgy chocolate buttermilk cake with a light almost marshmallow like strawberry buttercream finished off with a chocolate drip and more strawberries. This cake is perfect for any special occasion, because really who could pass up chocolate and strawberry??

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What equipment do I need to make Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

• 2 x 7" round tins

• Baking paper

• Stove

• Medium saucepan

• Mixing spoons

• Bowls

• Oven

• Stand mixer

• Digital Thermometer

• Small palette knife

• Large round piping nozzle (I used a size 13 thermo tube) linked here

• Piping bag

• Turntable

• Cake scraper

What ingredients do I need to make chocolate buttermilk cake with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream

• Eggs

• Caster sugar

• Olive oil

• Cocoa

• Plain flour

• Baking soda/bi-carb

• Sour cream

• Buttermilk

• Butter

• Dark chocolate

• Strawberries (fresh and frozen)

• Cream

Some tips and tricks before you get started

• If you don't have buttermilk on hand it is super easy to make. Just add 1tsp of white vinegar to 200ml of milk, stir and let it sit on the bench for 5 mins. Voila you have buttermilk ready to use in your recipes.

• Do not, I repeat DO NOT fill or ice the cake while it is still warm or even has the slightest bit of warmth to it. The cake will be a disaster, the buttercream will melt and the cake will collapse. I recommend putting the cake in the fridge after it has cooled slightly, to speed up the cooling process and you will know it is cool enough to assemble.

• Cooling the cake between filling and icing, will stabilise the cake and make it easier to spread the buttercream on.

• Make sure all of your elements are ready to go before decorating, to make you are more organised and in a clean space to decorate and assemble with everything in front of you.

• Really helpful tools that you will need to make things easier for this chocolate buttermilk cake is: a turntable, palette knife (either a 4", 6" or 8" will work well) and a cake leveller( super optional but super handy in getting those perfect layers)

• If the buttercream splits/curdles DO NOT bin it (I've made that mistake too many times) just take 1/4 of the mixture out and microwave it until it is melted, NOT hot. Then gently stream it back into the mixer while it is on low. Then whip it on high until it comes back together and is silky and glossy.

• Make sure the chocolate ganache is cooled but still at a runny consistency before pouring it over the buttercream. If it's too hot the buttercream can melt

• It is best to ice the cake cold. This will ensure the cake is stable and the buttercream will set quicker.

Storage.

The chocolate buttermilk cake will last 1 week in the fridge in an air tight container. It will last 3 months wrapped really well in the freezer. It is best to bring the cake back to room temperature before eating- It's more delicious this way!!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Yields 15 large dessert slices or 30 small coffee slices

For the Chocolate Mudcake

Ingredients

90g egg (approx 2 large eggs)

295g caster sugar

100g olive oil

60g cocoa

215g plain flour

9g baking soda/bi-carb

195g sour cream

200ml buttermilk

For the Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

8 egg whites

450g caster sugar

600g unsalted butter

250g frozen strawberries

For the drip and decorations

Ingredients

150g dark chocolate + extra to dip strawberries (optional)

60 ml thickened cream

Strawberries (approx 5-10)

Chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celcius

2. Line 2 x 7" (18cm) round cake tins with baking paper

3. Whisk together the egg and sugar in a stand mixer on high until light and fluffy. (approx 4-5 mins)

4. On low, slowly drizzle in the oil until combined

5. Mix together the buttermilk and sour cream until combined

6. Add the milk mixture into the mixer on low for 2 mins

7. Sift the plain flour, baking soda, and cocoa together in a separate bowl and then add into the mixer and mix on low for 1 minute until combined and then a further 2 minutes on medium,

8. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 tins and bake for 1 hr and 10 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean

9. While the cake is cooling, prepare the buttercream by thawing out the strawberries.

10. Once the strawberries have thawed, place them in a sauce pan and lightly mash them with a fork, bring them to a slow boil for 7 mins until some of the liquid has evaporated and it has thickened slightly. Allow to cool

11. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer over a double boiler and whisking continually and gently until it reaches 70°C or160°F. If you don't have a sugar thermometer, just make sure the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

12. With the whisk attachment of the mixer, start to whip the meringue on high until it is thick and glossy and the bowl is cool/neutral to touch. This can take up to 10 minutes, patience is key with this buttercream.

13. Switch over to the paddle attachment, on low speed add in the butter slowly until all incorporated and the buttercream is nice and glossy. If it has split see my tips to fix it above.

14. Once the strawberries have cooled, blend them into a puree. You can use a blender, an immersion blender or nutri-bullet.... whatever gets the job done.

15. While the mixer is on low, slowly add the strawberry puree until it is all incorporated

16. To make the drip, combine the dark chocolate and cream in a bowl and microwave in 30 sec bursts until melted, stirring in between.

17. Melt chocolate in a bowl and dip strawberries in the chocolate ( I used 3 to decorate the cake). Allow to set

Assembly

1. Once the cakes are cool, cut them in half to get 2 layers per cake, ending up with 4 layers total.

2. Place a cake board or serving platter onto the turntable

3. Place the first layer of cake on the cake board/serving platter with a bit of buttercream underneath to secure it.

4. Spread a layer of strawberry buttercream onto the cake and then place the next layer of cake on the buttercream and repeat until you have used all the layers. Refrigerate for 30 mins if decorating in warmer weather.

5. Next, spread the strawberry buttercream all over the outside of the cake. Use the cake scraper to smooth the sides. Keep filling the holes with more buttercream and scraping the sides back until you are happy with the smoothness.

6. Using your palette knife smooth the top of your cake so it is flat. place cake in the fridge until the buttercream is hard and cold. Approx 30mins-1hr

7. Take the cake out of the fridge and then pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, starting in the centre. Use a spoon to guide the ganache to the sides to create a drip. Allow the ganache to set

8. Fill the piping bag fitted with a round piping nozzle with strawberry buttercream. Hold the piping bag directly above the cake with a 1cm gap between the nozzle and cake. Push the piping bag to pipe out some buttercream and then release the pressure and pull up, resulting in almost a tear drop shape. Pipe a round border around the top of the cake and then pipe another border inside the first border.

9. Finish the cake off by adding the chocolate covered strawberries, fresh strawberries and chocolate sprinkles on the piped buttercream