Cocoa Victoria Sponge
Part 1: Cocoa Victoria Sponge
Ingredients
Method- 460g Caster Sugar
- 460g Butter
- 2 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Vanilla Bean (1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 400g Eggs
- 380g Self-Raising Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 80g Rich Terracotta Cocoa Powder
- 1 Teaspoon 4-spice
- Preheat oven to 175ºC. (Note if baking with fan lower temperature to 160ºC). Prepare two 20cm cake mould by lining the bottom of the mould with baking paper and greasing the sides with butter or greasing spray.
- Sift dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
- In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and salt. Mix until light and fluffy.
- Once mixture is fluffy, add vanilla and eggs gradually. Beating after each addition.
- Once all wet ingredients have been well combined, fold in sifted dry ingredients.
- Fold until there is no more trace of dry ingredients.
- Transfer to cake mould. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 175ºC.
- Check for readiness by sticking a knife or skewer to the center of the cake and making sure it comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove cake from oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the mould.
- Remove cake from mould and let cool down completely on rack before assembling the cake.
Part 2: Apple Marmalade
Ingredients
Method- 200g Caster Sugar
- 100ml Water
- 30ml Calvados
- 3 Star Anise
- 2 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Liqourish Stick
- 2 Cloves
- 6 Granny Smith Apples (cleaned and cut into cubes 2 x 2cm)
- In a saucepan, add the sugar and spices. Cook sugar until a dark caramel is formed. NOTE: pay attention not to burn because it’s a dry caramel base and will turn quickly.
- Once dark caramel colour has been achieved, deglaze with water and calvados. (Being careful, deglazing with alcohol can create a quick flame)
- Once deglazed add the apples. Set on Low heat and let cook until apples are completely cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporised.
- Transfer marmalade to a heat proof container and let cool down completely.
- Pull out whole spices, and store marmalade in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Part 3: Calvados Vanilla Creme Mousseline
Ingredients
Method- 500ml Whole Milk
- 124g Sugar
- 124g Egg Yolks
- 50g Cornstarch
- 30g Butter
- 50ml Calvados
- 1 Vanilla Bean (1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 200ml Double Cream
NOTE: To cover whole cake with mousseline recipe above must be doubled.
- In a sauce pan, add the milk and bring to a simmer
- In a bowl add the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Blend until well combined and a smooth paste forms. Set aside until ready to use.
- Stream the milk into the egg mixture while constantly stirring.
- Return saucepan back to heat. Cook until a thick cream starts to develop. Mix continuously to prevent from burning or curdling.
- Once at proper texture, take off heat and add butter. Mix until well incorporated.
- Add calvados and mix well.
- Transfer pastry cream into a heat-proof bowl and place plastic film wrap over the top to prevent a skin from developing.
- Cool down completely in refrigerator.
- In the meantime, whip double cream to medium/hard peaks. Reserve in a bowl in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Once pastry cream is completely cooled down mix quickly with a whisk to loosen a bit. Do not over mix.
- Fold whipped cream into pastry cream.
- Transfer directly to piping bag with desired pipping tip. Use immediately or reserve in refrigerator until ready to use.
Part 4: Assembly
Method- Once cakes are cool, cut cakes in two horizontally, creating four layers.
- Place a little frosting on the plate to position the first half.
- Add apple marmalade to the top of the first layer, spreading it evenly. Leave about 1.5cm space from the edge of the cake.
- Pipe the mousseline cream around the edge of the marmalade and a light layer over the top of the marmalade.
- Position the second cake layer on top of the cream and repeat step 4. Continue until the fourth cake layer has been added. (At this point if double recipe was made of the mousseline cream to cover the entire cake, add some of the cream over the last layer of the cake and spread evenly. Cover the sides of the cake with the cream with an off-set spatula.)
- The finished cake can be decorated on top by dusting cocoa powder or decorative piping with the mousseline cream and some of the apple marmalade.
