This refreshing no-bake layered cake is perfect for sharing — half fruity, half chocolatey, and 100% irresistible. Built on a soft, fluffy sponge made with a splash of vinegar, and filled with whipped cream, mascarpone, and red currants, this dessert lets you choose your favorite flavor with every bite.
For the fruit cake pan:
a little fat (butter or nonstick spray)
Cake with vinegar:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
4 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (such as sunflower oil)
2 tablespoons vinegar (fruit or white)
Filling:
1⅔ cups cold heavy cream
5 sheets gelatin (or 2 packets unflavored powdered gelatin)
8.8 ounces mascarpone cheese
Chocolate filling:
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ vial rum flavoring (or 1 teaspoon rum flavor from a bottle)
1.75 ounces grated baking chocolate
Fruit filling:
1 tablespoon sugar
zest of ½ orange
3.5 ounces frozen red currants
For decorating:
about 1 ounce chocolate
about 6 butter cookies
a few red currants
Prepare the cake pan by greasing it lightly. Preheat the oven.
Electric oven: 390°F
Convection: about 355°F
Gas: level 3–4
Cake with vinegar: In a mixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add the remaining ingredients one at a time, then mix with a hand mixer starting on low, then beat on high speed for about 1 minute until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan, spread it evenly, and bake.
Rack position: lower third
Baking time: about 15 minutes
Turn the cake layer out onto a rack lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely.
Filling: Soak and dissolve gelatin according to the instructions on the packet. Place the cake layer on a serving plate. Whip the heavy cream. In a separate bowl, mix mascarpone. Combine whipped cream with mascarpone. Take out 4 tablespoons of this mixture and stir it with the dissolved gelatin. Then add the rest of the cream and mix well. Divide the mixture into two equal parts.
Chocolate filling: Into one half, mix in cocoa powder, sugar, and rum flavoring. Gently fold in the grated chocolate. Spread this on one half of the cake and smooth the top.
Fruit filling: Into the remaining cream mixture, stir in sugar and orange zest. Gently fold in the frozen red currants. Spread this over the other half of the cake and smooth it out.
Decorating: Roughly chop the chocolate, place it in a freezer bag, seal tightly, and melt it in a water bath on low heat. Dry the bag, snip off a tiny corner, and use the melted chocolate to attach the cookies around the edge of the chocolate side of the cake. Chill the cake for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Before serving, decorate the fruit side with red currants.
recipe Dr. Oetker
