DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 tablespoon brandy in large bowl until fluffy. Add pastry cream ¼ cup at a time, beating after each addition until mixture is just blended.
ASSEMBLY: Melt jam in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons brandy into jam. Cut cake horizontally into 2 even layers. Place 1 layer on 8-inch cardboard square. Brush half of jam over cake. Spread 1 cup buttercream over jam. Cover buttercream layer completely with whole strawberries, stem ends down. Set aside ½ cup buttercream. Spoon remaining buttercream over berries, spreading buttercream between and around berries. Spread remaining jam over second cake layer. Place cake, jam side down, atop buttercream, pressing gently to adhere. Chill cake until buttercream is firm.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover cake and remaining buttercream separately and chill. Bring buttercream to room temperature before continuing.
Knead marzipan and 2 drops green food coloring in large bowl until color is evenly distributed. Dust work surface with powdered sugar. Roll out marzipan on sugar to 12-inch-diameter circle, sprinkling with powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. Spread reserved ½ cup buttercream over top of cake. Using rolling pin as aid, drape marzipan over top of cake; press gently to adhere. Trim marzipan even with top of cake; reserve trimmings. Brush excess powdered sugar off marzipan. Using long sharp knife, cut ⅓ inch off each side of dessert to expose strawberries. Using small cutter, cut marzipan trimmings into leaf shapes.
Stir 2 ounces white chocolate in top of double boiler until melted and smooth. Transfer chocolate to small parchment cone. Cut off tip to form small opening. Pipe the word “fraisier” atop marzipan layer. Garnish with strawberry halves and marzipan leaves. Chill.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.Technique Tip: One-of-a-Kind ButtercreamThe buttercream in this recipe is unlike any other in this book. White chocolate and vanilla are mixed into pastry cream, then beaten into butter, which creates a wonderful, mousse-like texture. Be sure to add the pastry cream to the butter a ¼ cup at a time so that it blends in properly and does not separate.
The stunning contrast of red cake and fluffy white cream cheese frosting has made this a southern tradition for festive occasions. Mixing a touch of cocoa powder with the buttermilk and vinegar creates a reddish brown color, but it’s the red food coloring that earns this cake its name. For an even deeper red color, add an extra tablespoon of food coloring. 12 servings
Cake
2¼ cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
Frosting
2 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2½ cups powdered sugar
3 ½-pint containers raspberries
3 ½-pint containers blueberries
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 27 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.
FROSTING: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add sugar and beat until smooth.
Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Arrange 1 container raspberries and ½ container blueberries atop frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Panna cotta, a very rich and creamy custard, makes a luxurious filling for this double-decker chocolate cake. The easy-to-make chocolate band wraps this cake up with style for a stunning, bakery-worthy look. Begin making this a day ahead, as the assembled layers need to chill overnight. 12 servings
CakeNonstick vegetable oil spray
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup strong hot coffee
½ cup hot water
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
Panna Cotta
½ cup water
5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
7½ ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
5 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
2½ cups heavy whipping cream
2½ cups whole milk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ vanilla beans, split lengthwise
Chocolate Band
2 16×3-inch strips waxed paper
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 10-inch-diameter springform pans with 2½-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee and ½ cup hot water over; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat both sugars and oil in large bowl 1 minute (mixture will be crumbly). Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream. Beat in half of dry ingredients, then chocolate mixture. Beat in remaining dry ingredients at low speed (batter will be thin). Divide batter between pans (layers will be shallow).