Black Cocoa Cloud Cake
Black Cocoa Cloud Cake
With Black Mascarpone Icing
Vegetarian
Serves 16
No doubt, one of our most dramatic creations, this cake is a real statement with its highly contrasting black and white tones. The pairing of soft, dark chocolate sponge with that fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth cloud of meringue, is utterly fascinating and the creamy black mascarpone layers take you on a whole new journey of flavour and wonder…Simply divine!
Ingredients
For the black cocoa cake:
350g cake flour (or plain all purpose flour)
50g black cocoa
30g raw cocoa powder
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2tsp salt
225g salted butter, softened
400g golden caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1tsp almond extract
4 large organic free range eggs
350ml kefir or buttermilk
For the black mascarpone icing:
70g dark chocolate, melted & cooled
400g icing sugar
60g black cocoa
A pinch of salt
250g salted butter, softened
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2tsp vanilla extract
A few drops almond extract
2tbsp milk of choice, if needed
For the meringue topping:
2 large egg whites (60g)
100g icing sugar
1/4tsp cream of tartar (optional)
1tsp vanilla extract
A few berries to serve (optional)
Method
For the cake:
Preheat the oven to 160C.
Grease two 20cm springform tins and dust them with some of the black cocoa.
Sift the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
In a freestanding mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes until very pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Start adding the flour mixture little by little, alternating with the gradual addition of the buttermilk. Do not over mix, rather blend until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed for a smooth result. Divide the batter between the two prepared tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool and remove cakes from the tins. Once completely cooled, individually wrap in clingfilm and place in the freezer for one hour, or the fridge for longer, until you are ready to frost. This will help with a smoother application.
For the black mascarpone icing:
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a Bain Marie and allow it to cool.
In a bowl, sift the sugar, black cocoa and salt and set aside.
In a freestanding mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the mascarpone and beat it in with the butter. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate. If needed, loosen the icing by adding milk, one tablespoon at a time, till you get a smooth fluffy consistency.
For the meringue topping:
Beat all ingredients in the mixer until you get very stiff, glossy peaks.
To assemble the cake:
Cut each cake into two layers. Place one layer on a cake stand and spread 1/3 of the icing. Repeat with the rest of the layers leaving the top surface bare.
Spread the meringue over the cake and create decorative peaks by pushing your spatula down and pulling it up. Lightly brown the meringue with a blow torch if you like.
Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Black cocoa is alkalised twice, to reduce its acidity levels and to give it its characteristic dark charcoal colour. It has a rich deep and earthy chocolate flavour, with bitter-sweet notes.
Raw cocoa powder is superior in nutritional value and in taste than regular cocoa powder. It has an intense chocolate aroma and works wonderfully in any recipe. It is however more pricey.
If you can’t get a hold of black cocoa, you can use just the raw cocoa powder, or regular cacao powder instead. It may not have the intense black colour, but the cake will still taste absolutely delicious. Both varieties can be found in health food stores and online.
