Chocolate Strawberry Curd Layer Cake

I know I am late in posting this month's birthday bake but then things are pretty hectic. I know that I come up with this excuse whenever I am late but really, things are tight. The house is not set up yet and weekends are being spent shopping, shopping and more shopping. And then I had to bake the cake for the huss's birthday which was yesterday. It was a simple classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting (just the way he wanted). I will post the recipe soon. And then today I am upto the neck with Gokulashtami preparations. Seedais, paayasams, polis and laddoos are there in my mind but I don't know what all will be prepared. Which leads me to this, I will be here only after Krishna Jayanthi is over so advance JANMASHTAMI wishes from our family. Have a look at the recipes that I prepared in the past so that u can get an idea. Even if you cannot make anything just give kutti krishnar some ghee, butter and poha, he will be all the more happier. I will be back with recipes for the ones that I make tomorrow soon.

As I said the berry season is at its peak here and large juicy strawberries are in abundance in the market aisle. Everytime I go grocery shopping, the first thing that I set my eyes are the boxes of ripe strawberries, blueberries and blackberries (that is how they have set the market aisles here) and so I immediately pick a few boxes. Last week when I went shopping I found some strawberries at discount sale and I didn't give it a second thought in grabbing some boxes. I didn't have any idea on how I will use all those boxes but I grabbed some.

We had berry smoothies, lassis, milkshakes and even plain strawberry milk but the produce never seemed to end. Finally I made a batch of strawberry curd so that we could have it with our toasts. When it was time to bake for the kid's birthday, the jar of fresh strawberry curd struck a cord in me and so I thought of using this like a jam to layer the cake... Nothing goes well with strawberry like chocolate and so I baked a chocolate cake. I cut out little hearts with my cookie cutter to make it cuter and it did look cute just like my cutie-pie.

~*What U Need*~ **I used half of the recipe All Purpose flour - 3/4 cup Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder - 3 tbsp Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Water - 1/2 cup Oil - 3 tbsp White vinegar - 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp Strawberry Curd How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan. Since I used half the quantity I used a smaller pan. Stir together flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; beat with whisk or spoon until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut cake into 4 hearts. Spread strawberry curd on top of two hearts; place remaining two hearts on top. Cut the remaining cake using small heart cutter.

Spread on a platter!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!