Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Coffee and chocolate are a pairing made in heaven, and this Coffee Mascarpone Layered Cake doesn't disappoint. Make it the previous day if you like, the flavours mature well over time.
Ingredients
Coffee sponge 8" X 2
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vanilla sugar
- 3 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp coffee extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Coffee Syrup
- 1/3 cup Water
- cup ½sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
- 250 g cream chilled
- 50 g icing sugar {to taste}
- 3 tsp instant coffee powder
- 250 g mascarpone chilled
Dark chocolate ganache
- 300 g single cream
- 450 g 52% couverture chocolate
Garnish
- cocoa powder chocolate shavings, coffee beans
Instructions
Coffee Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom and sides of 2 X 8″ spring form/loose bottomed round tins.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with both sugars till thick and mousse like, 7-10 minutes.
- Add the coffee and vanilla extract and beat in again for a minute, then beat in the baking powder and pinch of salt.
- Sift the flour over, folding gently in 3 lots, lightly till it’s mixed through well. Be careful not to release the beaten in air.
- Turn the batter into the prepared baking tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till a tester comes out clean.
- Cool completely on racks, then slice into two horizontally, total 4 layers.
Coffee Syrup
- Place ingredients in a small pan and stir until sugar dissolves. Cool.
- tbsp instant coffee powder
Coffee Mascarpone Filling
- Whip the cream, sugar and coffee together till medium stiff peaks form. Fold in the mascarpone. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Dark Chocolate Ganache
- Place chopped chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and run at high in the microwave for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth, then leave it to rest to cool. Whisk again before using.
Assemble
- Brush each layer with the coffee syrup, and sandwich with the filling.
- Give the whole cake a thin layer of ganache as a base coat. Let it set for about 5 minutes.
- Frost with the remaining ganache.
- Sift over with cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate shavings and coffee beans.
- Chill for about an hour or overnight. The flavours mature nicely over time.