Cheeky cake: A delectable twist to delight your guests

How can you bring a broad smile to the faces of your guests? You could summarize a recently watched stand-up show, but in my experience, that doesn’t always have the desired effect. You can also talk about celebrities' and politicians' blunders, but after a moment of good mood, it may turn against us. There’s also a third solution: serving them a cheeky cake, delicacy with a surprising taste.

What is the secret of this unique bake? It combines chocolate and lemon: uncommon, surprising, but ultimately well-thought-out and effective. The cheeky cake is delicate and refreshing, perfect for summer heat. It also looks good and is easy to make. In short, only positives will enhance the smiles on your guests' faces. I’ve already served cheeky cake to mine; now I recommend you do the same.

Ingredients:

Chocolate layer:

        
• 225 grams of butter,
• 200 grams of sugar,
• 4 eggs,
• 190 grams of all-purpose flour,
• 50 grams of cocoa powder.

Lemon layer:

          
• 115 grams of butter,
• 100 grams of sugar,
• 65 grams of all-purpose flour,
• 2 eggs,
• 50 grams of white chocolate,
• Juice of 1 lemon.

Cream:

        
• 1 cup of heavy cream (36%),
• 1 cup of mascarpone cheese,
• 125 grams of powdered sugar,
• Juice of 1/2 lemon,
• 1/2 tablespoon of grated lemon zest.

Glaze:

  
• 200 grams of chocolate,
• 120 millilitres heavy cream (36%).

Preparation method:

1. Start with the chocolate layer. Cream the butter with sugar, then add eggs. Beat and add flour and cocoa. Pour the batter into two identical baking pans lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 170°C.
2. Next, let's move on to the lemon layer. Melt the chocolate in a water bath and let it cool. Cream the butter with sugar, add eggs, and then melt the chocolate and lemon juice. Pour into a third pan (the same size as the previous ones). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 170°C.
3. Meanwhile, mix mascarpone, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest (I always soak citrus in hot water first to remove pesticides and harmful wax). Beat the mascarpone and combine it with the mixture.
4. Chop the chocolate and pour the warmed cream over it. This will create the glaze, the final element of this puzzle.
5. Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the chocolate layer. Cover with the lemon cake, spread again, and place the second chocolate layer on top. Spread the chocolate glaze on top. Refrigerate for a few hours. Done!