I’d planned to share a little Christmas recipe with you, but I have a small problem with the photos. So in the meantime, here’s a chocolatey recipe (always a crowd-pleaser, isn’t it?), ideal for a birthday. One of my friends had asked me to make a chocolate cake for her 4-year-old little boy, a Darth Vader fan. And because I’m no sugar paste pro, and Darth Vader frankly isn’t easy to make when you’re not an expert, I went for the idea of an edible wafer disc.
For the record, I was supposed to receive a Star Wars-themed wafer disc (3 possible designs, but the choice was random, whereas I absolutely wanted Darth Vader). So I mentioned it in the message accompanying my order. I obviously received a different design… (I can’t remember the website, but there are plenty!). So, to make up for it, the website offered to print a photo. I took the opportunity to add the little boy’s name and age, while I was at it!
He loved it, and so did his family! The disc warps a little in contact with the cream, which is moist, so you have to be very careful when placing it. But let’s admit it looks pretty impressive and it’s frankly easy to do.
As for inspiration, I went without hesitation to Aurélie’s blog (Lilie Bakery), the layer cake specialist 🙂
Ingredients & method
3 components · Full recipe
Chocolate sponge
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) flour
- 400 g (14.1 oz) sugar
- 93 g (3.3 oz) cocoa powder
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 pinches of salt
- 160 g (5.6 oz) eggs
- 264 ml (8.9 fl oz) milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
3
Add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract, then mix until smooth.
4
Pour into a buttered and floured 20 cm (7.9 in) diameter tin (or use one tin per layer if you have several).
5
Bake for 30 minutes. Check with a skewer: it should come out clean.
6
Leave to cool completely before unmoulding.
7
Once cooled, cut the sponge into 3 even layers using a serrated knife.
Chocolate frosting
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon Nutella
- 60 g (2.1 oz) icing sugar
- 170 g (6 oz) soft butter
- 400 g (14.1 oz) mascarpone
Method
1
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave, then leave to cool.
2
Beat the soft butter with the icing sugar until pale and creamy. Add the Nutella and the cooled melted chocolate.
3
Add the mascarpone and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.
Assembly
Ingredients
- 1 Dark Vader wafer disc
Method
1
Place the first sponge layer on a cake board or serving plate.
2
Spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over the sponge.
3
Place the second sponge layer on top and repeat with another layer of frosting.
4
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5
Place the third sponge layer on top and cover the entire cake (top and sides) with the remaining frosting. Smooth the surface with a palette knife or scraper.
6
Apply a thin coat of black velvet spray over the entire cake. Place the Dark Vader wafer disc on top.
7
Refrigerate until serving.
Gallery
