Mary Ann Cake with Strawberries and White Chocolate Cream

Mary Ann Cake with Strawberries and White Chocolate Cream—a delightfully unique choice to kick off the birthday celebrations for my better half.

Mary Ann is a sponge cake that’s round like a standard cake but features a charming, shallow depression at its center. I happened to have a Mary Ann tin and used it to transform Ottolenghi’s Victoria Cake into a fascinating birthday treat.

The cake is made from a genoise sponge, and I followed the recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum's ‘Baking Bible’ because it’s the perfect size for my tin. The delectable strawberry sauce and white chocolate cream are inspired by the Victoria sponge recipe from ‘Sweet’ by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh.

I opted to keep the cake in the fridge and serve it chilled.

It received enthusiastic thumbs up from the birthday boy and my daughter.

Ingredients

White chocolate cream:

150g white chocolate, finely chopped

150ml double cream, plus an extra

150ml to finish 

Strawberry sauce

250g hulled strawberries, roughly chopped

70g caster sugar

1½ tsp lemon juice

Cake

85gr butter

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

5 eggs

1 egg yolk

125gr caster sugar

66gr Plain flour 

60gr Cornflour

Fresh strawberries, sliced to decorate 

Method

White chocolate cream

1. Place chocolate in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat cream in a saucepan until it simmers.

3. Pour hot cream over chocolate, let sit for 3 minutes, and stir until melted.

4. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. When ready to assemble, mix white chocolate cream and extra cream until thick (about 30 seconds). Be careful not to over-whip.

Strawberry sauce

1. In a small saucepan, place the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and the empty vanilla pod.

2. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly until the sugar completely melts, and the mixture thickens.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grease and flour your cake pan (either a 10-cup tart pan or a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper at the bottom).

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it turns brown. Strain the butter, saving 50 grams, and mix it with vanilla.

4. In a stand mixer, lightly whisk together eggs, egg yolk, and sugar.

5. Warm this mixture over simmering water until it's lukewarm while stirring.

6. Attach the whisk to the mixer and beat the mixture on high for at least 5 minutes.

7. Sift together the flour and cornstarch.

8. Mix a cup of the egg foam into the browned butter.

9. Gently fold in the flour mixture in two parts.

10. Add the butter mixture and fold it in until combined.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

12. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden brown and it springs back when touched.

13. Unmold the cake immediately after baking to maintain its delicate structure.

To assemble the cake, follow these steps:

1. Spread the strawberry sauce to cover the depression on top of the cake.

2. Spoon the white chocolate cream onto the center of the cake, and swirl it with a silicone spatula.

3. Finish by placing fresh strawberries around the edge of the depression.