Mocha Layer Cake

Mocha Layer Cake

It's been almost a year since I last played with cake frosting, the part which I just couldn't do well. I have tested many types of frosting but the outcome was not pretty. 

Seeing that there is leftover whip cream lying around in the fridge, I decided to give it a go without much expectations. Leafing through the neglected baking books in the study I found this relatively easy and less time consuming recipe to try out. The original recipe calls for the using of 3 separate 7 inch shallow cake pans but I only have 1 hence I just bake the entire recipe on a standard 7" round cake pan and worry about the layering the cake later.

True enough the layering is tough for novice baker like me as the cake was rather crumbly and instead of making 3 layers, I settled for 2 layer...phew! Cold sweat ! My advice would be to follow the recipe and bake with at least 2 separate cake pans if you don't have many spare baking pan of the same size. 

While layering the cake, lots of crumbs came loos. So, I kept it for use in decorating the sides of the cake while only opting chocolate shaving on the top surface of the cake. The feedback from my maid was the chocolate being too sweet. Luckily I cut down on the castor sugar from 120g to 90g and in the end, the using of the cake crumbs for the side also helps to even out the sweetness. 

Recipe adapted from the book "Simple & Delicious Desserts" published by Love Food.

Mocha Layer Cake
(Servings - 8 pax)

Cake

Butter (for greasing)
250g Self Raising Flour
1/4 Tsp Baking Powder
4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
95g Castor Sugar
3 Grade A Eggs
2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
150ml Corn Oil
150ml UHT Milk

Filling / Topping

1 Tsp Coffee Powder
1 Tbsp Boiling Water
300ml Double Cream
2 Tbsp Icing Sugar

Decoration

50g Chocolate Shavings
Loose Cake Crumbs (optional)
Icing Sugar (for dusting)


Method

Lightly grease 3 shallow 7" cake pans. I bake mine using one standard 7" cake pan (bottom and side line with parchment paper) instead of what the recipe calls for.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together into a large bowl. Stir in the castor sugar. Then make a well in the center. Add eggs, syrup, oil and milk to the well and gradually beat in with a wooden spoon to form a smooth texture. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans (if any).

Bake in a preheated oven at 180C degrees for 35-40 mins, or until springy to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the cake pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make filling, dissolve the coffee in the boiling water. Add coffee mixture into a mixing bowl containing the double cream and icing sugar. Whip at high speed until the cream starts to hold its shape. Apply the cream to sandwich the 3 layers of cake together. I only layered mine  to 2 layers. Spread the remaining cream over the top and side of the cake.

To decorate, lightly press the chocolate shavings into the cream on the top as well as the side of the cake. I did mine with the cake crumbs (for the sides) and chocolate shavings (for the top).

To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.