Mocha Milk Cake

This cake…this cake! The first bite is enough to send you into some sort of spiritual experience. A sweet milky coffee soaked chocolate sponge, topped with mascarpone whipped cream, and dusted with cocoa, it’s nothing short of blissful.

The saccharine milky mixture used to soak the cake is so perfectly offset by the intense coffee, which in turn elevates the cocoa in the sponge. For this version of a milk cake or ‘tres leches’ I like there to be quite a significant ratio of cake to cream. I like the cake to be tall, and the cream to almost match it.

When it comes to texture, the cake is soft, but sturdy, and each slice is moistened by and should be dripping with the coffee milk. The mascarpone whipped cream is ever so lightly sweetened, and the perfect amount out rich to bring the cake full circle.

Dairy Free Alternatives:

Double Cream: Elmlea Plant Double Cream

Condensed Milk: Biona Coconut Condensed Milk / Nature’s Charm Coconut Condensed Milk

Evaporated Milk: Nature’s Charm Evaporated Coconut Milk

Cream Cheese (as alt for mascarpone) : VioLife Soft Cheese

Notes:

Utensils - For the cake batter and cream topping, using an electric whisk or a stand mixer will speed up the process

Serving -This cake is excellent if left to chill in the fridge overnight, but about an hour is enough too

Serves: 10-12

Cake

• 200g Sugar (granulated/caster)

• 200g Butter

• 4 Eggs

• 30g Cocoa Powder

• 170g Self Raising Flour/Plain Flour

• Pinch of Salt

• 1tsp Baking Powder (2tsp if using plain flour)

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C Fan/190°C/Gas Mark 5

2. Whisk together the sugar and olive oil/butter until well combined

3. Add in the eggs one at a time and continue to whisk

4. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy/bubbly, the longer the better

5. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder & mix until just combined (do not over whisk)

6. Add the batter to a medium sized pyrex baking dish/ceramic baking tray (approx 30cm x 20cm) & bake for about 50 mins (check on the cake from the 40min mark, each oven is different!) or until the top of the cake springs back when you press it down lightly (or if you insert a skewer/knife into the middle and it comes out clean)

7. Leave to cool for about an hour then start making the milk mixture for soaking

Soak

• 1 tin Condensed Milk (400g)

• 1 tin Evaporated Milk (400g)

• 3 large Espressos (300ml/ 3tsp instant coffee in 300ml hot water)

1. Add the milks to a small pot, and on a low heat allow them to warm up until the condensed milk dissolves

2. Stir and add in the espresso (you can add more if you want it stronger!)

3. Take off the heat 

4. Prod holes throughout the cake with a skewer (as many as you can)

5. Pour the slightly warm milk mixture over the cooled cake, about half at a time

6. If you feel the cake is fully saturated & you have leftover milk, just set it aside and use again when serving

   (If you’re making this way ahead of time/the night before serving, leave the cake to chill in the fridge at this stage)

Topping (make on day of serving, and whole cake can be left to chill)

• 1 tub Double cream (300ml)

• 1/2 tub Mascarpone (125g)

• 4 Tbsp Sugar

• 2 tsp Vanilla

• (Cocoa powder for dusting on top)

1. Whip the mascarpone until smooth

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip until soft peaks form (until the cream has just about whipped)

3. Spread onto the cooled cake & chill in the fridge until it’s time to serve (1 hour-overnight)

4. Shortly before serving, dust with cocoa powder using a tea strainer/small sieve

Enjoy!