I think this is my all-time favorite cake recipe. Rich, flavorful, and light—but not exactly simple to create. Add chocolate swirls or fresh fruit as a garnish.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 4 hrs 40 mins |
| Total Time: | 5 hrs 45 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch layer cake |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- 1 ⅛ cups chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- 5 large eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (Optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- 5 tablespoons warm water
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 ⅛ cups chopped dark chocolate
- ⅞ cup light cream
- 5 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup chopped white chocolate
- 2 teaspoons gelatin powder
- 3 tablespoons water
- ⅞ cup light cream
- 5 ounces mascarpone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a springform pan with butter.
- Place dark chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks into the chocolate.
- Whisk egg whites, brown sugar, and salt in a separate bowl until peaks are the consistency of firm snow. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until firm, about 20 minutes. Cool for 1 hour.
- Prepare the second layer while the first layer is cooling. Mix water and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Melt dark chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Whisk cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Add cocoa powder mixture and melted chocolate. Pour over the first layer. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the top layer. Melt white chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Dissolve gelatin powder in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Heat in a double boiler until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix into the melted chocolate.
- Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese and mix until smooth. Fold in the chocolate-gelatin mixture. Pour over the second layer. Refrigerate cake until firm, at least 3 hours.
- Substitute 2 gelatin sheets for the powder, if preferred. Soak them in cold water briefly to soften before using.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 652 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 37 g |
| Cholesterol | 192 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 28 g |
| Sodium | 100 mg |
| Sugars | 31 g |
| Fat | 55 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This recipe doesn’t have enough detail to be successful, which is probably why only three people (now four) have made it. For example, it does not say what size pan to use. Also, the amount that the cake expands is alarming, but don’t fret, it will shrink down after cooling. Also, in the second layer, it does not say how long to whisk the cream, marscapone cheese and sugar mixture, so this layer can be somewhat dense. Lastly, the folding in of the gelatin is very weird, because it doesn’t feel like it gets mixed well, especially if the gelatin starts setting while you’re in the mixing stage. The worst part of this recipe is that it is impossible for light cream to whisk until soft peaks form. I whisked it on low, medium, then high speed for a very long time, and the peaks never formed in the last step. Super frustrating!