Golden sponge cake layers soaked in orange punch, layered with orange jam, and covered with a chili-infused chocolate ganache.
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 200 g very soft butter
- 1 cup (180 g) fine sugar
- 1 package vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
- 350 g cake flour
- 50 g potato starch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 cup sour cream 12% or yogurt or buttermilk, at room temperature
Orange Punch:
- 100 ml orange juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
- 50 ml orange liqueur (e.g., Cointreau)
- 50 ml brewed tea
Filling:
- about 300 g orange jam (e.g., with orange peel pieces)
- 100 ml orange liqueur or orange juice
- 1 teaspoon potato starch
Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (used muscovado, can use white)
- 250 ml heavy cream 30%
- 200 g dark chocolate
- chili pepper or chili powder, to taste To decorate: chili flakes or chili pepper
Preparation:
Take all cake ingredients out of the fridge beforehand to warm to room temperature. The butter should be soft. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line the bottom of a 25 cm springform pan with parchment paper, extending the paper beyond the edge of the pan (clamp the ring over the paper, letting it hang outside).
Cake: Place the soft butter, vanilla, and fine sugar in the mixer bowl, and beat for about 10 minutes until white and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (about 3 minutes per egg). In another bowl, sift the cake flour and potato starch together with the baking powder. Mix well. Add the sifted flours to the creamed mixture, preferably directly through a sieve, and mix until combined, adding sour cream or yogurt in between. Pour the batter into the springform pan, level the top, and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the ganache: In a saucepan, mix the cocoa with sugar, add water, and mix. Add the cream and heat over low heat, stirring until the sugar and cocoa dissolve. Gradually add chili to achieve the desired spiciness, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, check the spiciness, and remove the chili. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted. Cool and let sit for at least 1 hour to thicken.
Prepare the filling: Mix the potato starch with 2 tablespoons of juice or liqueur, set aside. In a saucepan, combine the remaining liqueur or juice with the jam and bring to a boil. Add the dissolved starch, mix, and bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Slice the cake into 3 layers. Soak each layer with the punch mixture (liqueur, orange juice, and tea), and spread with jam: place the bottom layer on a platter, drizzle with 1/3 of the soaking mixture, spread 1/2 of the jam, cover with the second layer, soak it, spread the remaining jam, and cover with the final cake layer. Drizzle with the remaining soaking mixture. Spread the cooled and thickened ganache over the cake. It can be served immediately or stored in the fridge. The cake will stay fresh for a long time.
