Chef Chuck's Raspberry Mascarpone Sponge Cake

PanDiSpagna ai Lamponi e Mascarpone


A decadent dessert with a classic refreshing flavor. It all blended so well, a light sponge cake soaked in a coffee mixture coated in dark chocolate. Topped with a mascarpone cream and fresh juicy raspberries. A sinful dessert to enjoy anytime.

Raspberry Mascarpone Sponge Cake
Cake
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt


Coffee Mix
3 ounces sugar
3 ounces water
2 ounces espresso
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup dark chocolate
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Mascarpone Cream
16 ounces mascarpone cream
6 ounces powdered sugar
6 ounces heavy cream

Raspberries


Cake
Separate eggs, beat yolks and powdered sugar for 3 minutes. Beat egg whites with salt till stiff peaks form. Gently fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Sift a little flour at a time over the batter and fold in, continue till all flour is blended. Add vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Use a 12x9 baking pan, line with parchment paper then butter. Pour in batter and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool and place on a rack. On a cutting board, cut into rectangles about 1 1/2 x 4 inches, then slice in half to make layers.


Coffee Mix, combine sugar and water in a small pot till it boils and cool, add coffee, brush on the bottom layer of cake.


Melt chocolate and heavy cream in a double boiler. Coat a thin layer of chocolate on top of coffee layer, then refrigerate till is hardens. This takes about 30 minutes.


Mix mascarpone cream with the sugar and a little cream at a time, till it is all blended and thickens.
Add a layer of cream over chocolate then on top of cake use a star tip with a pastry bag or spread the cream, top with a few raspberries.

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

One of our most frequently requested cookies. 

Rich and flavorful, they will certainly fulfill your chocolate fix. 

If not, just eat another one, or two. They're that good.

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

16 oz or 2 cups semisweet chocolate

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp espresso powder finely ground

10 tbs butter softened

1/1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside. Melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water on stove, stirring till melted. Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with a fork and sprinkle coffee over, set aside. In a mixer beat butter till smooth and creamy, beat in sugars. Reduce speed add egg mixture then chocolate in a slow stream beat till combined. Scrape bowl set mixer on slow add dry ingredients mix till combined. Do not over beat. Cover with plastic and let sit for 30 minutes. Set oven to 350 and line baking pans with parchment paper. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough onto paper. Bake 5 minutes then rotate pan and cook another 5 minutes, cool cookies on paper then slide parchment paper onto the racks. These are chewy and quite tasty.