Ingredients:
- Cake
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter (diced)
- 18 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped)
- 6 large eggs
- Ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Strawberry Glaze
- 2 cups strawberries (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- Red food coloring (optional)
- 10 large strawberries to decorate the cake
Directions
Strawberry Glaze
Combine the strawberries, water and sugar in a bowl and squish with clean hands to gently crush the fruit, releasing its juice.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for six hours or overnight.
Pass the mixture through a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing the berries to release as much juice as possible. Discard the fruit pulp.
Add the cornstarch to the berry juice, whisking until smooth.
Pour the mixture in to a saucepan set over medium-high heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened — approximately 2 minutes.
Note: Adjust the heat as needed while cooking to maintain a gentle simmer and prevent burning. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and food coloring. Cool the glaze until it is just warm before using.
Cake
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 10 inch diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim.
Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
Ganache
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake.
Dip strawberries in glaze (only up to half of the strawberries). Place strawberries to decorate the cake. Press each lightly strawberry.
Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.
Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides.
Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.