Markus and Quinley’s Chocolate and Coffee Cake

MARKUS’ CHOCOLATE CAKE 

INGREDIENTS 

2 cups flour 

2 cups sugar 

¾ cup cocoa powder 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon coffee granules 

1 cup Clover milk 

½ cup Clover Olive Pride oil 

2 eggs 

2 teaspoons vanilla essence 

1 cup boiling water 

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees 

Prepare a nine inch round baking tin (grease and flour or line with paper) 

Heat oil, milk and water in a pot and set aside 

Sift flour and salt into a bowl, put aside 

Using your KitchenAid (or any other beater), beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until thick and creamy 

Add the  flour and liquid alternately folding in small quantities at a time

Fold in vanilla essence and lastly fold in baking powder 

Pour your batter into your baking tin and bake for 20-30 minutes 

Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool

QUINLEY’S HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

3 extra large eggs

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups Cake flour

pinch of salt

1/2 cup CLOVER milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup neutral tasting vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder

METHOD: 
OVEN 190°C

Prepare two nine inch round baking tins (grease and flour or line with paper) 

Heat oil, milk and water in a pot (or in a jug the microwave) put aside Sift flour and salt into a bowl, put aside 

With a rotary beater, beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl till REALLY thick and creamy…

Add the  flour and liquid alternately Folding in in small quantities at a time.

Fold in vanilla essence and lastly fold in the sifted baking powder.

Evenly distribute batter between the two baking tins

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 min or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean, and the cakes are slightly pulling away from the sides of the baking tins.

Turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool

MASCARPONE CREAM FILLING

INGREDIENTS:

6 egg yolks

130g sugar

500g mascarpone

1 teaspoon vanilla

200 mls Clover cream

Small pinch of salt

METHOD:

Put an empty bowl into the fridge

In another bowl whisk egg yolks and sugar together till mixed,  put the bowl over simmering water (the bowl must not touch the water) for two minutes whisking the mix constantly, then beat till triple in volume.

Add the mascarpone cheese in spoonfuls and whisk gently till smooth, do not over beat or it will curdle!

Pop into the fridge.

Then take the 1st cold mixing bowl out of the fridge, Add the cream and vanilla essence and beat till very stiff.

Take the marscapone egg mix out of the fridge and fold in the whipped cream.

COFFEE SYRUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups boiling water

4 Tablespoons JACOBS instant coffee

Sugar to sweeten

2 teaspoons vanilla

METHOD:

In a jug or a bowl add the coffee and the boiling water Stir to dissolve Add the vanilla and enough sugar to sweeten to taste

WHIPPED CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

500 mls CLOVER COLD cream

2 Tablespoons castor sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

METHOD:

Put the COLD cream and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer With the whisk attachment start beating the cream, adding the sugar while beating Keep an eye on the cream so it doesn’t over whip and curdle Beat till forming soft peaks Divide the cream, spooning enough into another cold bowl for chocolate cream piping Continue to hand whip the cream until it firm enough to spread on the cake CHOCOLATE CREAM Add 3 teaspoons sifted cocoa powder to the cream in the other bowl and mix in till firm enough for piping, being careful not to overmix.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

Make sure the cakes are leveled flat and the same thickness.

Lay all three cakes next to each other, poke them all over the tops with a thin skewer or a toothpick On the cake stand, place the first vanilla sponge flat side up Brush on coffee syrup (gently at least 1/3 of a cup to soak into each cake) Layer the marscapone filling EVENLY about 2 centimeters thick Place the chocolate sponge ontop, making sure it’s perfectly aligned….don’t press it down as the mascarpone is very soft and will oooze out.

Brush on the coffee syrup gently to soak into the cake Layer the marscapone filling EVENLY again about 2 centimeters thick Layer the other vanilla sponge again, don’t press it down as the mascarpone is very soft and will oooze out.

Brush on the coffee syrup gently to soak Spread the remaining marscapone smoothly and evenly over the top Carefully ice the sides of the cake, using the offset spatula, with the white whipped cream, gently and evenly cover the top of the cake with the cream.

Spoon the chocolate whipped cream into a piping bag (which is fitted with a large star tip), try not to keep warm hands on the bag as the heat will melt the cream.

With the chocolate cream, decorate the cake as you wish Carefully dust the top of the cake with sifted cocoa powder Grate over the chocolate Keep in fridge till needed