1. Preparing the ganache:
Soften the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the scraped vanilla pods, add the softened gelatine and pour over the melted chocolate in 3 batches, whisking to combine. Add the cold cream and blend with an immersion blender to obtain a nice texture.
Pour into a clean container, cover with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
2. Preparing the cake :
Soften the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. Place the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream with the scraped vanilla pods, add the softened gelatine and pour over the melted chocolate in 3 batches, whisking to combine. Add the cold cream and blend with an immersion blender to obtain a nice texture.
Pour into a clean container, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 24 h. Start by preheating your oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 cm-diameter round tin and place a round of greaseproof paper in the bottom to ensure that it comes out well.
Whip the soft butter, sugar and bitter almond flavoring until the mixture whitens and thickens, giving a light, airy cake.
Add the eggs one by one, whisking well after each addition until perfectly incorporated.
Then add the flour, almond powder, baking powder and salt, mixing lightly, and finish by stirring in the milk (just enough to make a smooth batter).
Pour the batter into the greased tin, place the strawberry pieces on top and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for around 40 minutes. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes in the tin before removing from the mould and cooling completely on a wire rack.
3. Assembly preparation.:
Once the cake has cooled completely, whip up the ganache to make the decoration: gently whip your ganache until it resembles whipped cream, becoming frothy and airy (be careful not to over whip). Place in a piping bag fitted with a St Honoré tip and pipe a thin ribbon of ganache all around the cake.
Decorate the crown with edible flowers, strawberries and flaked almonds.
