Triple Chocolate Cake: A Voluptuous Valentine Special
If you need a celebratory cake, this glorious triple chocolate cake recipe will do the trick for pretty much any occasion. Two chocolate sponges are sandwiched together with white chocolate & mascarpone. They’re then topped with a rich dark chocolate & honey glaze.
When I chose butter as this month’s We Should Cocoa ingredient, I didn’t have anything specific in mind. But when I woke up yesterday, I wanted to bake and I wanted to bake something decadent. It’s been a long time since I made a full on layer cake and this triple chocolate cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other occasion when you want to show how much you care for the ones you love (if not perhaps their waistlines).
Triple Chocolate Cake
Every time I make a new chocolate cake, bar the odd disaster, I reckon it’s the best one ever. This one is no exception, but until they can all be lined up together and taste tested carefully, there is no saying how true this really is. Suffice it to say, it was jolly delicious.
Two well risen, but moist chocolate sponges, made with pure cocoa are sandwiched together with a white chocolate and mascarpone filling and the top glazed with rich dark chocolate and honey. The contrast between the sweet filling, the bitter glaze and the not too sweet sponges makes this triple chocolate cake particularly satisfying.
I used kefir to make the sponges, but buttermilk or sour milk would work just as well. I used a half wholemeal spelt, half plain flour combination and butter of course. For a dairy free cake I’ll use coconut oil or olive oil, which both work really well, but butter is always my preference.
I was going to make a white chocolate buttercream for the filling as butter is the key ingredient this month, but I found some mascarpone which was fast approaching old age so I thought I’d better use that up instead. But fear not, I did use some butter in the chocolate glaze. Adding a little butter to a chocolate sauce or glaze right at the end usually gives a beautifully glossy result – my tip of the day.
Other Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes You Might Like
- Black Forest gateau
- Chocolate chilli cake
- Chocolate treacle cake
- Cornish sea salted caramel chocolate cake
- Eton Mess chocolate cake
- Malted chocolate cake
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Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this luscious triple chocolate cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Triple Chocolate Cake. PIN IT.
Triple Chocolate Cake – The Recipe
Triple Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 100 g golden caster sugar (I used cardamom sugar)
- 50 g dark muscovado sugar (I used molasses sugar)
- 3 eggs
- 150 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 125 g unbleached plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
- 200 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt (I used kefir)
White chocolate mascarpone filling
- 150 g white chocolate broken into pieces
- 200 g mascarpone cheese
Dark chocolate glaze
- 2 tbsp honey the more intense the better
- 40 ml water
- 80 g dark chocolate broken into pieces (I used 70%)
- 10 g unsalted butter
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy.175 g unsalted butter, 100 g golden caster sugar, 50 g dark muscovado sugar
- Beat in the eggs one by one. If the mixture starts to curdle, add some of the cocoa powder.3 eggs
- Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ones until everything is just combined.150 g wholemeal spelt flour, 125 g unbleached plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 4 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp instant coffee powder, 200 ml kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or watered down yoghurt
- Divide the mixture between two 22cm round silicone cake moulds (or lined tins) and level with a spoon.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 35 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tins.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
White chocolate mascarpone filling
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water – it's important the water isn't boiling or even simmering or the chocolate might seize. Allow to cool a little.150 g white chocolate
- Stir the mascarpone until smooth, then stir in the chocolate.200 g mascarpone cheese
- Spread over one of the sponges and place the other one on top.
Dark chocolate glaze
- Bring the water and honey to a fast boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.2 tbsp honey, 40 ml water
- Add the chocolate and leave to melt for a couple of minutes.80 g dark chocolate
- Stir until smooth, then add the butter and stir again.10 g unsalted butter
- Pour over the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides a little.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
This triple chocolate cake is my entry to this month’s #WeShouldCocoa where the special ingredient is beautiful butter.
It’s The Month of Cake over at Jibber Jabber UK, so this celebration cake goes to Love Cake too.
And finally, a slice goes to the No Waste Food Challenge over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary. Whilst the mascarpone was still good, I wasn’t sure it would last much longer.
What a stunning looking bake! I could quite happily scoff this any day of the year! Thank you for sharing with the No Waste Food Challenge!
Well I’d like to think you might savour it rather than scoff Elizabeth, but I know what you mean 😉
Yes please all round! Just a single layer would make me happy but with three I would be ecstatic!
Haha, thanks Ness. I’d much prefer it if you took a slice with all three 😉
That looks really decadent. Love the contrast of sweet and bitter chocolate a perfect cake to share – if you have to;) GG
Haha GG, I think even I would struggle to eat this all on my own 😉
now THAT is a stunning cake. Love the drooling, dribbling chocolate xx
Dribbling chocolate is a must when it comes to chocolate cakes 😉
What a delicious cake, I could easily eat a couple of slices .
Haha, even I might struggle at two slices Nayna, it’s quite rich.
Oh my god, that is the most decadent little number I’ve seen in a while! Lucky CT 😉
Janie x
Thanks Janie. CT doesn’t do badly on the cake front, though I suspect he wouldn’t mind a roast dinner from time to time 😉
What a stunner – love the idea of the mascarpone and white choc filling
Thanks CC, the mascarpone and white choc was a revelation 😉
‘Voluptuous’ is very apt! That’s a serious chocolate cake, but one which I could happily scoff straight from the serving plate. I think I prefer the decadence and richness of mascarpone against chocolate (given a choice) so maybe that was a fortuitous fridge find!
Yes indeed Kate, the mascarpone filling is lush, very creamy of course, but not overly sweet. I think I might be using it again. The chocolate sponge was rather good too 🙂
This looks gorgeous – don’t think I’ve had white chocolate in a cake before!
Thanks Cathy. I’ve tons of recipes for white chocolate in and on cake, but this particular filling was a first.
Lovely luscious cake. I love the richness of mascarpone. Just so good with chocolate! Love the look of this cake too!
Thanks Alida. Mascarpone is a great foil for chocolate, I should really use it more often.
Soft airy sponge, luscious mascarpone filling, smooth chocolate glaze…this is a heavenly combo!
Thanks Angie, I can’t but agree with you 😉
Mmm! Yes please, this looks so delicious Choclette. I love how you’ve presented it so simply with the glaze trickling down the sides – it certainly makes it look incredibly inviting. I’ve never come across Kefir before, I guess I would find that in alongside the buttermilk etc in the fridge aisles of the supermarket.
Angela x
Thanks Angela. I’m a sucker for dripping chocolate, it somehow makes everything seem so much more inviting. I’m not sure how easy kefir is to buy. I think it’s one of those up and coming ‘health’ drinks. We’ve been making our own for many years, so often have an abundance in the house. Buttermilk would work fine.
I am totally drooling Choclette. That cake looks amazing and I’m now wondering why I haven’t finished on like that. Gorgeous!
Thanks Jac, sometimes a full on chocolate cake is just what is needed – even if there’s no specific occasion to celebrate.
Now that’s decadent. But I for one am very keen on a bit of decadence in the dark days of February. I love it.
Hooray for a bit of decadence I say too. It all gets a bit boring if we’re too strict all the time – not that I can be accused of being too strict.
oh my, oh my, oh my… i don’t even know what to say, but i want it and want it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha Paola. The trouble with chocolate cake is you have to wait quite a long time whilst it’s baking – not the best for instant gratification 😉
You know, I can’t remember the last time I had a chocolate cake (a slice, not the whole thing!) but you now, you have me really craving one right now. I love that you have used kefir here. That must really give it a lovely tang. Right up my street xx
Kelly you are so good. I think I need chocolate in my diet 😉 We usually have copious amounts of kefir in the house, so it gets used in all sorts of things. It works wonderfully in baking.
Chocolicious and droolworthy comes to mind. Simply delicious!!
Thanks Nayna, it’s keeping us well supplied with chocolate indulgence 😉
What a fabulous looking cake, now I could just do with a slice of that and a cup of tea!
Oh, what a very good idea Anna, I’ll go and put the kettle on …
Oh my word, what a stunning cake Choclette!! This looks so delicious, love the idea of a white chocolate mascarpone filling, genius. Will have a think about some We Should Cocoa ideas!
That filling is just way to moreish Kate. If I hadn’t been trying to make a nice thick layer for the cake, I might have eaten a lot more than was good for me right from the bowl. Would be great to have you joining in with We Should Cocoa this month.
Oh yes please!! Looks incredible. I may have to give myself a Valentine’s day pass from the diet to have a little something chocolatey. And now I won’t be able to concentrate the rest of the day…
You are so good Lucy and putting me quite to shame. Have to confess though, this is a most delicious cake 😉
Oh wow, this is making me very hungry! This cake looks delicious!
Thanks Sophie. It really is a good one. Trouble is, I keep helping myself to “just another little slice”.
This looks properly indulgent. I adore a good rich chocolate cake! Any left for me?
Astonishingly Kavey, if you’re quick you might just get a slice 😉
I am now drooling all over my desk – how is a woman supposed to write when this pops into her inbox?!
Haha Chris. A woman is meant to dash down to her kitchen immediately and get baking after reading this 😉
Butter and chocolate are the perfect combination, love them together. I just want to dive straight into this cake!
Thanks Ceri, I don’t want to rub it in or anything, but I just did dive in 😉