Chocolate cake with mascarpone cream and hazelnut topping:
This cake is moist, delicious, has a rich chocolate flavour and light crumb texture. It comes together in no time at all and yields a small, single layer cake- perfect for those days when you have a homemade chocolate cake craving. I think it actually tastes better the day after it’s baked as the chocolate flavour really develops. This cake is simply delicious on its own with a scoop of ice cream, but today I am making a mascarpone cream and hazelnut topping to make this a little more fancy 😊 Enjoy!
Makes one 8-inch cake.
Ingredients
For the cake
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar (I like to use ½ cup white sugar and ½ cup light brown sugar)
½ cup sifted cocoa powder (unsweetened Dutch-processed)
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 extra large egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup buttermilk (Greek yogurt or sour cream can also be used)
½ cup of very hot coffee (I use 1 tbsp instant coffee and ½ cup hot water)
For the mascarpone cream topping
½ cup sifted icing sugar
1 cup cold mascarpone cheese
½ cup very cold heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup of Nutella (or as much as you would like)
¼ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray sides and bottom.
2. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Add in egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and mix on low until incorporated, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually add hot coffee in a slow, steady stream and mix until just combined. Use a spatula to clean the sides and bottom of the bowl and to ensure that the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be very thin.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Do not over bake as this will dry out the cake.
6. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and continue cooling on a rack until cake is at room temperature.
7. While the cake is baking make the mascarpone cream. Put the mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, icing sugar, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream mixture to soft peaks and refrigerate until ready to use.
8. To assemble- spread the Nutella on top the cooled cake, then top with the mascarpone cream and hazelnuts. Store cake in the fridge.
9. Enjoy at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Tips
1. Ensure that egg and buttermilk are at room temperature when mixing the cake.
2. Yogurt or sour cream can also be used in place of the buttermilk. I used vanilla Greek yogurt in the video.
3. Ensure that coffee is very hot and add gradually to the mixture.
4. Don’t worry if the top of the cooled cake sinks a little in the centre- this can sometimes happen and it’s going to get covered with mascarpone cream anyway.
5. Ensure that the heavy cream and mascarpone cheese are cold as this will ensure that its whips well and forms soft peaks.
