03 | June | 2014 | milkandbun

I do like sponge cakes, they are easy, simple and scrumptious! 😀 This one is absolutely worth making, the base is flavoured with coffee and chocolate, which can be your favourite – dark, milk or cherry-flavoured, for en extra twist add vanilla. You can use only mascarpone for the cream, add cherries or some ganache into the filling. The possibilities are endless!
What can I say about the cake. A light, moist sponge bursting with juicy strawberries and a creamy filling – a perfect teatime treat! 😉

Chocolate cake with mascarpone cream

Servings: 10-12
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If you’re not coffee-lover just leave it out, and replace with water or juice.

Ingredients for 20cm/8inch round cake pan

CAKE:

4 eggs, yolks and whites separated, at room temperature

100g white sugar (you can add 150-200g to suit your taste)

150g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

2 Tbsp non-sweeten cacao

3 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped finely-almost powdered

40ml/2 Tbsp coffee, brewed and chilled (or coffee/chocolate liquor/amaretto)

1 tsp vanilla extract, optionally

50ml olive or sunflower oil

30ml/ 1 1/2 Tbsp water, cold

1/2 tsp lemon juice

CREAM:

120g whipping cream

50g icing sugar

80g mascarpone

50g hazelnuts or/and almonds, chopped finely

30-50g chocolate, strawberry-flavoured/dark or milk

100g strawberries, chopped, optionally

GANACHE:

100g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely

80-100ml cream, double or 20-30%

Preheat oven to 355°F / 180°C. Butter cake pan, line it with baking paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except for the sugar.
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until the mixture is pale. Add oil, coffee, water and stir well. Set aside.
Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and lemon juice until soft peaks form.
Slowly incorporate egg whites into batter until just combined.
Pour into your greased dish and bake for 34-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Coll completely. Cut cake into two layers.
To make the cream, whip the cream and icing sugar for 3-4 minutes or until foamy (Be careful! Don’t overbeat!). Add mascarpone, chocolate and nuts, and combine. Optionally, you can stir in some fresh berries.
Spread the cream evenly over one cake layer, top with the second one.
To make the chocolate ganache, bring cream to the boil in small saucepan. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until smooth.
Spread the ganache over the cake, decorate with berries or chocolate.
Refrigerate cake 3-4 hours or overnight before serving.