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Eggless chocolate and strawberry layer cake

Eggless chocolate cake layers filled with alternating layers of fresh strawberry buttercream and dark chocolate buttercream, and frosted with dark chocolate ganache
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Ingredients
  

For the chocolate cake

  • 280 grams or 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 300 grams or 11/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 60 grams or ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 240 ml or 1 cup milk at room temperature
  • 240 ml or 1 cup water at room temperature
  • 120 ml or ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercreams

  • 225 grams or 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 375 grams to 500 grams or 3 - 4 cups icing sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Pinch of salt
  • 60 ml or 1/4 cup strawberry puree
  • 60 to 100 grams dark chocolate

For the dark chocolate ganache

  • 300 grams dark chocolate
  • 200 grams or ml cream

Instructions
 

To make the cake

  • Preheat your oven to 160 C or 325 F . Butter and flour two 6 inch round pans . Line the bottom with parchment ( optional).
  • In a large bowl , whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, sugar , baking powder , baking soda , cocoa and salt.
  • Add the liquid ingredients - water , milk , oil , vanilla and vinegar.
  • Whisk until smooth.
  • Immediately divide among your two pans and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the top springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
  • Cool in pans for 5 minutes and then gently unmould and cool completely on wire rack.

To make the ganache

  • Chop the chocolate as small as possible. Place in a bowl.
  • Heat cream until its just about to boil (bubbles along the sides).
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Cover and let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes.
  • Using a spatula, mix until all the chocolate has melted and you have smooth ganache.
  • You can heat it a bit if there are some lumps remaining.
  • Cover and let rest at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours.

To make the buttercream

  • Sift 3 cups (375 grams ) of the icing sugar. Keep aside.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth.
  • Add the icing sugar little by little and beat well after each addition. Once all the sugar has been added, add the salt and milk and beat until desired consistency is achieved.
  • Divide this into two portions, doesn't have to be exact.
  • Into one, mix in the strawberry puree one tablespoon at a time until you get desired flavour . Don't add more if the buttercream becomes too loose or liquidy.
  • Into the other portion, add melted chocolate in the same manner until desired flavour is achieved.

To assemble

  • Slice the cooled cakes horizontally into two slices each.
  • Place one slice on a cakeboard or plate .
  • Using a piping bag and round tip (or corner snipped off), pipe a ring of ganache around the edge. This is a dam so the buttercream doesn't go into your outside ganache frosting.
  • Spread about half cup of the chocolate buttercream inside this dam as smoothly as possible. Place next layer on top, press gently. Dam with ganache and fill with strawberry buttercream. Continue with third layer and fill with chocolate buttercream.
  • Place the last layer on top. Put about half cup of ganache on top and using a offset spatula, smoothen the top.
  • Now cover  the sides, adding more ganache where required.
  • Smoothen it as much as possible. Chill the cake  for about 15 minutes.
  • Smoothen the ganache as needed and if you wish, pipe some strawberry buttercream on top or the sides.
  • Serve at room temperature!

Notes

This is a tall cake so slice thin wedges.
It lasts for about 3 days.
You can bake the same batter in two 7 or 8 inch pans for a less tall (2 layer) cake.
If the buttercream seems too loose after adding the puree or chocolate, you can adjust with more icing sugar.
For more concentrated strawberry flavour, you can heat the puree with half a teaspoon of lime juice until reduced.
My measuring cup is 240 ml.