Ingredients

Instructions

  1. For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease and flour 2 round 8" pans.
  3. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl on low speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, for about 30 seconds.
  4. Then, beat on high speed for about 2 minutes.
  5. Add egg whites; beat on high speed 2 minutes longer.
  6. Fold in white chocolate.
  7. Pour into pans.
  8. Bake until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean- 30 to 35 minutes.
  9. Allow cakes to cool completely, and then carefully slice each in half, lengthwise.
  10. For the Mousse (I recommend making the night before): Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Set aside.
  11. Puree fresh strawberries.
  12. Place the berries in a small saucepan, add the preserves, and cook over medium heat (stirring constantly) until thickened, or just before boiling.
  13. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
  14. Fold into melted chocolate.
  15. Allow the strawberry chocolate mixture to cool until tepid.
  16. Then gently fold in whipped cream, followed by gently folding in egg whites.
  17. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.
  18. For the Icing: In a medium saucepan, combine melted chocolate and flour.
  19. Blend in milk, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick (about the consistency of melted chocolate alone).
  20. Cool completely.
  21. In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, butter and vanilla.
  22. Beat until light and fluffy.
  23. Gradually add completely cooled chocolate mixture.
  24. Beat until well blended, but DO NOT over beat, or it will become runny.
  25. To Assemble Cake: Spread set mousse between layers of cake (there will be three layers of mousse).
  26. Make sure not to have any mousse leaking out of the sides, or it will make icing the cake difficult.
  27. After the mousse is between the layers, put the cake in the freezer.
  28. In the meantime, melt the 3 ounces of chocolate.
  29. Arrange the thinly sliced strawberries on a pan that has been covered with saran wrap.
  30. Drizzle the chocolate in thin ribbons, in all directions over the strawberries, until they are nicely covered (but not completely).
  31. Take the cake out of the freezer, and place the pan of strawberries in the freezer.
  32. Ice the cake generously with the white chocolate icing using a spatula, so it forms soft peaks all over the cake.
  33. Once the cake is completely iced, take the strawberries out of the freezer.
  34. Arrange them around the perimeter of the top of the cake, points inward, and around the bottom of the cake, points upward.
  35. Use five strawberries to form a "flower" in the middle of the cake, if desired.