I have wanted to bake a layer cake for some time now. So when my best friend invited us up to their house for a little pre-Easter lunch, I decided to finally bake a layer cake.
I chose a simple chocolate cake with fresh mango mousse and frosting infused with orange zest and juice.
I does take some time from start to finish but I found each step quite simple. So if you have the time and energy, this is a great cake to bake and bring to a lunch or dinner.
Chocolate layer cakes
Ingredients (for 2 pieces)
3,5 dl of boiling water
65 g of unsweetened cocoa powder
260 g flour
11/2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
170 g butter
340 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 vanilla bean
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 175 C
Butter and flower your springform cake pans. I used cocoa powder instead of flour now that I was baking a chocolate cake.
Mix the boiling water with the cocoa powder in a medium size bowl. Wisk until the powder is completely incorporated.
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a mixing bowl.
Whisk butter and sugar in a bowl. Scrape out the vanilla caviar from the vanilla bean and add to the butter/sugar mix. Whisk until its light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Alternately add the flour and cocoa mixture over three times till everything is just incorporated.
Pour the dough into two baking tins (I used two 20 cm. round tins)
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the cakes rest for about 20 minutes before turning them out of the tins and letting them cool completely on a rack.
Mango mousse
Ingredients:
250 g of mango flesh
30 g powdered sugar
2 dl of whipping cream
Juice from one lime
3 leaves of gelatin
Vanilla caviar from 1 vanilla bean
Method
Add the gelatine to a bowl with ice cold water. Peel the mango. Cut it into small cubes. Add the mango to a saucepan along with lime juice and caviar from the vanilla bean. Cook it at medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Blend it into a consistent puree.
Add the powdered sugar to the mangopuree. Pour it back into the saucepan and heat the puree a bit. Squeez the soaked gelatine free of water and mix well with Mango puree. Let the puree cool. Whip the cream and mix it together with the cooled Mango coulis.
Orange frosting
Ingredients:
330 g powdered sugar
225 g butter
caviar from 1 vanilla bean
2 tbsp of cream
Zest from 1 orange
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Method:
Whisk butter and sugar in a large bowl.
Add vanilla and cream and continue whisking for 3 to 5 minutes until you have a light and fluffy frosting.
Finally add the orange zest and juice.
Assembly
Add one of the cakes back in the springform pan and pour over the mango mousse. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to let the mousse set.
Take the cake out of the fridge and remove form the pan and place the second cake on top of the mango mousse layer.
Now frost the cake with the orange frosting and decorate with chocolate eggs or other holiday treats. Place back in the fridge before serving.
