Quark Míša Cake

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CAKE BASE

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 170˚C (top and bottom heat). Prepare a 26 cm diameter cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. You can also use two smaller tins (18 – 20 cm – we used one round and one heart-shaped), but then shorten the baking time.
• 2
  Place the chocolate in a plastic bowl and slowly melt it in the microwave (in 15-second intervals with stirring in between) or let it melt in a bowl over a water bath.
• 3
  Put 150 g of water and butter in a saucepan and let it melt slowly.
• 4
  Stir the melted chocolate into the butter mixture and remove from the stove. Let it cool slightly.
• 5
  Whisk the sugar with the eggs into a fluffy foam (this takes a few minutes).
• 6
  In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• 7
  Gradually and alternately stir the cooled chocolate mixture and then the buttermilk/kefir into the egg mixture. Finally, sift the flour mixture into the batter and mix.
• 8
  Pour the batter into the prepared tin (or tins) and bake for about 50 minutes in one larger tin or 40 minutes in two smaller tins. Check the cake base and after 40 - 45 minutes, test if it is baked. Touch the center of the cake base with your hand, press lightly, and shake the batter to feel if it is firm or not. If it is firm, try the skewer test – insert it into the center of the cake base. It may have crumbs on it when removed, but not sticky batter.
• 9
  After removing from the oven, let the cake base cool slightly (about 15 minutes), cut it out of the tin, and turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. This will nicely level any 'hump' on the cake, so you won't have to trim it.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE QUARK CREAM

• 1
  Whip together the quark, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar.
• 2
  Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water.
• 3
  Heat two tablespoons of sour cream and 100 g of whipping cream in the microwave (or carefully in a saucepan on the stove) and stir the softened and squeezed gelatin into the mixture until dissolved.
• 4
  Briefly whip the remaining sour cream into the quark and whip the remaining cream until stiff.
• 5
  Stir the cream with gelatin into the quark mixture and finally gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

• 1
  Wash, dry, and slice the strawberries into slices about 3 mm thick.
• 2
  Cut the cake base into two halves. Return the bottom part to a clean closed cake tin (of the same size as you baked in) and line the inside edge of the tin with a strip of baking paper at least as high as the tin (insert it behind the cake base).
• 3
  Arrange the strawberry slices around the edge of the cake base and lean them against the baking paper in the tin. Try to avoid gaps between the strawberries.
• 4
  Spread about 2/5 to 1/2 of the quark mixture with a spatula and try to spread it into the gaps between the strawberries. Spread several sliced strawberries over the cream.
• 5
  Trim the second part of the cake base so that it is 3 - 4 cm smaller in diameter than the bottom part (cut about 1.5 – 2 cm from the edge and set aside). Place the reduced half of the cake base in the center of the tin on the cream with strawberries and press down slightly. Save the remaining strawberries for decorating the finished cake.
• 6
  Completely cover the cake base with the remaining cream and level with a spatula or decorating knife. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHOCOLATE GLAZE

• 1
  Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for a moment (about 1 minute) and then stir until smooth with a spatula or immersion blender. Spread over the cake and return to the refrigerator to set until the next day.
• 2
  Before serving, carefully remove the cake from the tin, remove the baking paper from the sides, and gently smooth the sides with a decorating knife (or table knife) if necessary. Decorate with strawberries.