Confession #109: I Buy Too Much Chocolate... Strawberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Strawberry Bundt Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Place the chopped strawberries in an 11" x 7" baking dish and sprinkle the 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar on top. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, and then set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and grease a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray, making sure to coat all of the grooves of the pan.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is even in color and texture and the color has lightened a bit. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolk, beating between each addition until well-combined. Wipe down the mixing bowl as needed.
6. In a blender, puree the cooled strawberries with the yogurt until smooth. Add to the batter in the stand mixer along with the vanilla extract and red food coloring. Beat in on low speed until the batter is even in color and everything is well-combined, wiping down the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and fold in with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix!
7. Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan, spreading it out to fill every crevice of the pan and smoothing out the top. Wrap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to eliminate any trapped air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-53 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, rap the pan on the counter a few times to loosen the cake, place the cooling rack upside-down over the pan, and turn the cake out onto the rack. Cover the top and sides with plastic wrap, and let the cake cool on the rack until it is no longer warm to the touch. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to decorate.****
8. Make the chocolate-covered strawberries (recipe here) and plan how you will place them on the cake before making the ganache glaze. The recipe makes more strawberries than you will need for the cake, but this is intentional; you will likely have some that turn out better than others. Extras can always be used for additional garnish when serving.

White Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. In a separate, microwave-safe container, microwave the heavy cream for 20-30 seconds, just until it starts to boil. Pour the cream over the white chocolate, making sure that most of the white chocolate is covered. Let sit for 5 minutes. Then, stir in a gentle, circular motion until the white chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is smooth. If needed, microwave for another 10 seconds at a time, stirring gently between intervals, until smooth. If a few small bits of chocolate aren't melting or you happen to get air bubbles in the ganache, strain it through a sieve before continuing. The ganache should be very thick, so that it falls in a slow stream from the bowl. If needed, chill it in the fridge briefly, about 5-10 minutes, and then stir again until smooth.*****

Assembly:

1. Drizzle the ganache over the bundt cake, pouring over the top and letting it pool slowly down the sides. Arrange the strawberries on top, and let the ganache set.
2. Serve cake the day it is assembled. Any leftovers should be covered tightly in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator. Be sure to put plastic wrap over cut edges as well to keep the cake moist.
3. Enjoy!