Here is a recipe that has been patiently waiting to be published… This cake was my little challenge last summer for my niece’s birthday, as she was turning 6. She absolutely wanted something to do with a unicorn, of course! For those who know me a little, you know that sugar paste isn’t really my thing. Not having an overflowing imagination when it comes to cake design, I draw a lot of inspiration from what I can see on the internet. For this cake, I reproduced the look of a unicorn cake made by Lucile’s Cake Creations (so cute, this little unicorn devouring the little cake, isn’t it?).
As for the recipe, it was from my friend Tiphaine (Titi la toquée) that I sought inspiration. If you don’t yet know Tiphaine’s blog, I strongly recommend you go and take a look. She’s a lovely young woman, bursting with talent. As proof, she has just won the regional final (Ile-de-France) in the show Les rois du gâteau ???? She was also making a unicorn layer cake last summer. So we supported each other from decorating the cake board right through to the final assembly of the dessert!
For the flavours of the chocolate and praline layer cake, I went for a chocolate molly cake, soaked in a vanilla syrup for softness and filled with a wonderfully indulgent praline ganache, and for the fun little touch, I assembled my cake like a piñata with Smarties inside. Wow effect guaranteed for the kids.
As for the decoration, it takes time… as we were celebrating the birthday in Normandy, I had prepared the sugar paste decorative elements in advance (it’s better anyway, they need to dry) as well as the molly cake, which is made the day before or even 2 days ahead. Same for the ganaches. In short, all I had left to do was the assembly on the day, which is honestly much appreciated when you’re not in your own kitchen.
It’s a cake that was enjoyed by young and old alike. My niece had a huge smile on her face when she discovered HER cake. That’s worth all the gold in the world <3
Ingredients & method
6 components · Full recipe
Chocolate Molly Cake (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 175 g (6.2 oz) flour
- 250 g (8.8 oz) caster sugar
- 80 g (2.8 oz) cocoa powder
- 8 g (0.3 oz) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 250 g (8.8 oz) heavy cream
- 1 tsp liquid vanilla extract
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2
Grease a tall 18 cm (7.1 in) diameter tin (my tin is 7 cm (2.8 in) high) then line with baking paper (the paper should extend above the tin).
3
In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract for 5 minutes until the mixture is nice and fluffy.
4
In another bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the pinch of salt.
5
Add the dry ingredients to the frothy egg-sugar mixture. Mix well using a spatula.
6
Whip the heavy cream to firm peaks and gently fold it into the previous mixture.
7
Pour the batter into the lined tin.
8
Bake for approximately 50–60 minutes without opening the oven door (baking time will depend on your oven, so keep an eye on it…). At the end of baking, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for 5 minutes.
9
Before unmoulding the cake, let it cool for about ten minutes. Then leave it to cool completely on a wire rack.
Dark Chocolate Ganache (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) dark chocolate
- 300 g (10.6 oz) heavy cream
Method
1
Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie.
2
Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan.
3
Pour one third of the hot cream over the dark chocolate and mix to create an emulsion. Then add a second third, then a third, to obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture. The ganache should be smooth and glossy.
Praline Chocolate Ganache (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.6 oz) praline chocolate
- 150 g (5.3 oz) heavy cream
Method
1
Melt the praline chocolate in a bain-marie.
2
Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan.
3
Pour one third of the hot cream over the praline chocolate and mix to create an emulsion. Then add a second third, then a third, to obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture. The ganache should be smooth and glossy.
Vanilla Syrup (make the day before)
Ingredients
- 200 g (7.1 oz) water
- 50 g (1.8 oz) caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- a dash of lime juice
Method
1
Bring the water, sugar and vanilla pod to the boil until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Assembly of the Chocolate Praline Layer Cake
Ingredients
- None
Method
1
I recommend using a turntable for both the assembly and decoration — it makes things much easier. Take the ganaches out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before assembly, otherwise they will be impossible to pipe. Once at the right temperature, transfer each ganache into a piping bag without a tip.
2
Cut the molly cake into 4 equal layers using a large serrated knife. Use a round cutter to make a hole in the middle of the 2 centre layers. This will create a hollow cavity for the little sweets.
3
Place an 18 cm (7.1 in) cardboard round on the turntable, then place the first cake layer. Brush with the vanilla syrup. Pipe a nice spiral of dark chocolate ganache around the entire edge of the cake. Pipe the praline ganache inside, starting from the centre.
4
Place the second cake layer (with a hole), press down gently and repeat: syrup and ganache. The third layer also has a hole. Finally place the last cake layer to close.
5
Spread a layer of dark chocolate ganache all over the cake using a spatula in a thin coat (this coat is called a “crumb coat” — it traps any crumbs, no need to be too precise at this stage). Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Decoration
Ingredients
- fondant in multiple colours
- Smarties
Method
1
Since I’m a bit lazy and don’t love working with fondant, I bought a roll of ready-rolled light pink and light blue fondant (you can find it at Zôdio and, let’s be honest, it’s incredibly handy!).
2
Next, I had to make the unicorn and its little cake, the bow and the wood-effect board. To stick everything together, just use a little water and a fine brush. I only used a toothpick to hold the head on the body of the unicorn.
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