Sourdough Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting
Servings: 12
Ingredients
For the Sourdough Chocolate Cake:
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Warm Water
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Sourdough Starter
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder divided
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Cane Sugar
- 1 cup Whole Milk or buttermilk
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 tsp. Fine Salt
- 1 tsp. Espresso Powder
For the Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
- 8 oz. Fresh Mascarpone Cheese
- 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
(Optional) For Serving:
- 12 oz Frozen Cherries
- 2 tbsp. Granulated Cane Sugar
- Freshly Whipped Cream
Instructions
For the Sourdough Chocolate Cake:
- The night before: In a large bowl, combine the flour, water, olive oil, sourdough, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Mix until very well combined and a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter overnight (up to 24 hours).
- The next day: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9" cake pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar and eggs. Beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the milk, sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda, vanilla, salt, and espresso powder. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the chocolate sourdough mixture and mix just until a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
- Combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat until smooth, then add the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat until firm peaks, about 3-4 minutes.
- Fold in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to taste.
To Assemble / Serve:
- Place one chocolate cake layer on your cake plate. Layer half of the chocolate mascarpone frosting over the bottom cake layer, then add the top cake layer and repeat with the remaining frosting.
- To make the cherry compote: Combine the frozen cherries, sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning and cook until the cherries thaw. Use a potato masher to mash the cherries into smaller pieces. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add a slurry of 1 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tbsp water to help thicken the compote and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, if needed. Let cool to room temperature.
- To serve: Enjoy the sourdough chocolate cake, serving each cake slice with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream and spoonful of cherry compote!
