Vertical Mocha Seven-Layer Cake

This cake will leave your guests wondering if they are seeing things… No, this dessert has not been photoshopped! And no, you don’t have to bake seven layers to achieve this look. Wait for the gasps of surprise when you cut this cake open. I love this dessert so much because it tastes even better than it looks!

Garnish it! Make this cake pop by arranging whole coffee beans along the bottom.
It’s a simple decoration that makes a statement!

Yield: 1 cake

Sponge Cake

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 eggs

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons
margarine, melted

Confectioners’ sugar, to dust

Mocha Cream

4 sticks (1 cup) margarine

5 cups confectioners’
sugar, sifted

cup whip topping,
unwhipped

cup cocoa powder, sifted

5 tablespoons instant coffee mixed with 3 tablespoons
hot water

1 cup coffee beans,
to decorate

Prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil
and cover with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a mixer, beat eggs on high speed until fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to low and, with the mixer running, slowly add sugars, lemon juice,
and margarine, followed by the flour and baking powder.

Pour batter into the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly with a spatula.
Bang the sheet on the counter to pop any air bubbles.

Bake 12–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners’ sugar. Carefully invert the baking sheet
onto the towel, remove the baking sheet, and peel off the parchment.
Dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Roll the cake (with the towel) jelly-roll style, starting at the shorter side.
Cool at room temperature. Once cooled, gently unroll the cake and remove the towel.

Cut the cake into three long strips.

Prepare the mocha cream:

In a mixer, beat margarine 1–2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add confectioners’ sugar and beat to combine. Mix 3 more minutes on high speed.

Add whip topping and beat 2 more minutes, then mix in cocoa powder and coffee.

Spread mocha cream over cake strips.

Roll up the first strip, jelly-roll style. Place the rolled-up strip at one end of the second strip,
right on top of it, and roll up, jelly-roll style. Finally, place this at one end of the third strip
and roll up as with the others.

Place the cake on a serving plate or cake stand so that the exposed sides are at the top and bottom.

Decorate:

Spread mocha cream over the entire cake. Fit a pastry bag with a star tip
and fill with remaining mocha cream, then pipe stars over the top of the cake.

Carefully place coffee beans around the bottom of the cake, as shown.

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