Chocolate Layer Cake with Mascarpone and Caramelised Meringues
Ingredients
For the cake layers:
- 2 ½ cups/ 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups/ 300 g brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup / 50 g cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅞ cup / 200 g plain yogurt
- ½ cup / 120 ml olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
For the Mascarpone Frosting:
- 500 g 2 cups mascarpone cheese
- ¼ cup / 25 g dutch processed cocoa powder
- 4,2 oz / 120 g dark chocolate, melted
- ⅞ cup / 100 g powdered sugar
For the chocolate whipped cream:
- ⅞ cup / 200 ml heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon dutch processed cocoa powder
For the meringues:
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoon / 40 g granulated sugar
- a pinch of cream of tartar
To assemble:
- Cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
Cake Layers:
- Preheat the oven to 180º C/ 350º F. Grease very well two 7 inch/ 18 cm cake pans and line them with circles of parchment paper.
- Sift together all-purpose flour and cocoa powder. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture doubles its volume. Add oil and vanilla and beat for 1 more minute. Add yogurt and beat again to combine.
- Using a rubber spatula fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, adding them in 3-4 portions. Mix gently to keep the air inside the batter.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans, adding just a bit more to one pan.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of each base comes out clean.
- Let the layers cool completely before assembling the cake.
Meringues:
- Preheat oven to 110º C/ 200º F.
- Using an electric mixer beat egg white and cream of tartar for 1-2 minutes, until foamy. Gradually add sugar, while beating continuously. Beat for few more minutes, until stiff peaks form.
- Use a piping bag and a star shaped tip to pipe different size meringues on a baking tin lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 1,5 hours or until the meringues are stuff and hard. Increase the oven temperature to 130 degrees and bake for few more minutes, to get a slightly caramel shade. Watch the meringues carefully to avoid burning them.
- Let cool until room temperature before decorating the cake.
Mascarpone Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer beat mascarpone, cocoa powder and icing sugar: first at a low speed and then at a high speed, until fluffy.
- Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. Mix it gently with a rubber spatula to cool it down.
- Little by little add from the mascarpone mixture to the chocolate. Mix energetically to avoid the chocolate from hardening quickly. Add more mascarpone and keep mixing, until a smooth creamy texture is created. Fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining mascarpone mixture, until the icing becomes smooth.
Chocolate whipped cream:
- In a large mixing bowl beat all the ingredients with an electric mixer, first at a low speed and then at a high speed, until fluffy and smooth.
To assemble:
- Using a long serrated knife cut each cake base horizontally into 2 and 3 layers respectively (one of the bases should be slightly taller).
- Place one layer on a serving plate and spread about ¼ of the mascarpone icing on top. Place another layer and spread ½ of the whipped cream on top. Continue the process, alternating the two kinds of icing. Make sure you keep a bottom layer for the top of the cake. You can also use a cake ring to make the assembly easier.
- After placing the last layer on top, spread the remaining ½ of the mascarpone icing all around the cake using an offset spatula. Leave about 2 tablespoon of the icing to pipe on the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for 4-6 hours before decorating and serving. Make sure you place the meringues on the cake right before serving as they would melt in the fridge.
- Decorate and dust lightly with cocoa powder on top.
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