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! 😉
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
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.
Enjoy the cake! 🙂