8-inch-round Sponge cake or Genoise
2 pints whole ripe strawberries

White chocolate mousse--

9 ounces white chocolate
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup strained apricot preserves

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mousse:

Place chocolate and water in a medium-size heatproof bowl. Bring 1 inch of water to a
simmer in a large pot. Set bowl of chocolate over pot of simmering water. Stir mixture
constantly until melted and smooth. Let cool away from heat until it is about 85
degrees.

Whip cream until soft peaks form not too stiff. Carefully fold cream into cooled white
chocolate mixture; the mousse will seem very soft. Set aside.

ASSEMBLY:

Cut one even layer, 3/4 inch thick, from cake. (or use a store bought pound cake cut to
line bottom of a 8-inch by 3-inch high spring form pan.) Place cake layer in bottom of pan
or dessert ring. (if using a 8x3 ring mold, place a cake round on bottom of cake layer
and ring.)

Choose about 10 large berries of equal height. Cut them in half vertically. Arrange them,
point ends up, fitting cut sides snugly against inside circumference of pan. Cut
additional berries if needed to completely line the sides of the pan. Leave remaining
berries whole and arrange them, pointed ends up, close together all over top of cake in
pan. Berries must be at least 1/4 inch shorter than sides of pan, trim if too tall.

Pour mousse over berries. Spread mousse, pushing it into all the spaces between
berries and making sure that it is in contact with sides of pan between cut berries. Use
a spatula to smooth top even with pan. Ripple top surface of mousse with a serrated
knife. Refrigerate in a covered container for at least 4 hours, until set.

TO UNMOLD AND SERVE:

Warm pan or ring briefly with a hot wet towel or a propane torch. Remove sides of
spring form carefully; smooth sides of dessert with a warm, dry metal spatula. If using a
dessert ring, lift ring upward off dessert.

Simmer strained preserves in a very small saucepan for 1-2 minutes to create a glaze.
Using a pastry brush, carefully glaze only the sides of cake and cut surfaces of
strawberries.

I find if you do the cake and strawberries first then make the mousse it is better,
because the mousse is still very pour able.  A chocolate sauce would go very well with this gorgeous cake, Enjoy this one on a summer day.