❤️ For Valentine's: Strawberry Chocolate Valentine Gateau 🌞

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Strawberry Chocolate Valentine Gateau

Offering a slice of this voluptuous valentine gateau
could be the start of a very special romance. Don’t
forget the chocolate hearts, for that extra special touch.

SERVES 8

175g/6 1/2 oz cups self-raising (self-rising) flour
10ml/2 tsp baking powder
75ml/5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
115g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
2 eggs, beaten
15ml/1 tbsp black treacle (molasses)
150ml/1/4 pint /2/3 cup sunflower oil
150ml/1/4 pint/2/3 cup milk

FOR THE FILLING

45ml/3 tbsp strawberry jam
150ml/1/4 pint /2/3 cup double (heavy) or whipping cream
115g/4 oz strawberries, sliced

TO DECORATE

1 quantity Chocolate Fondant chocolate hearts
icing (confectioners) sugar for dusting



1 Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/ Gas 3. Grease a deep 20cm/8in heart-shaped cake tin (pan) and line the base with baking parchment.

2 Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl. Stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs, treacle, oil and milk. Mix to incorporate the dry ingredients, then beat with a hand-held electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until risen andfirm to the touch.

3 Cool the cake in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice the cake into two layers, and spread the bottom layer with the jam.

4 Whip the cream until it holds its shape. Stir in the strawberries, then spread over the jam. Top with the remaining cake layer.

5 Roll out the chocolate fondant and cover the cake. Decorate with chocolate hearts and dust with icing sugar.

From "Greatest Ever Chocolate Cookbook" By Christine McFadden & Christine France

Scrrrrumptious! Enjoy lovers!