LISA'S WHITE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

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