Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
 - 1 Breville
 - 1 Whisk
 - 1 sieve
 - 1 9x13 Baking Pan or 10" square
 
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 6 large eggs, 55-60 grams each, separated
 - 150 grams (3/4 cups) granulated sugar
 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 - 120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
 - 1 tsp baking powder , read blog post
 
Coffee Soak**
- 240 mL (1 cup) strong coffee , (I used 4 shots espresso and added 1/2 cup cold brew to make 1 cup)
 - 25 grams (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
 
Mascarpone Cream
- 8 ounces (1 small tub) mascarpone cheese, cold , (I recommend Belgioioso)***
 - 120 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
 - 240 mL (1 cup) heavy whipping cream, cold
 - 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
 - tiny pinch of fine sea salt
 - Cocoa powder for dusting, I used dutch
 
Method
Sponge Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) convection (325F/163C conventional) and grease and line a 9x13" or a 10" square pan with baking spray and parchment paper.
 - Place the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, at full speed, beat until they're frothy.6 large eggs 55-60 grams each, separated
 - With the mixer on medium speed, stream in the sugar. Turn the mixer up to full speed and beat just until the meringue reaches stiff peaks.150 grams (3/4 cups) granulated sugar
 - Pour in the egg yolks and vanilla and turn the mixer to medium-high speed, mixing, a few seconds, just until they're fully combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 - Sift in the flour and salt (and baking powder if using) and turn the mixer up to medium-low speed, mixing just until the flour is incorporated.120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder read blog post
 - Scrape the edge of the bowl well and spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 15-20ish minutes, until the cake is golden and separates itself from the edge of the pan. It will also spring back when you press on it gently.
 - Allow the cake to cool completely and then use a fork to poke holes all over it.
 
Coffee Soak
- Stir the coffee with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved.25 grams (2 Tbsp) granulated sugar, 240 mL (1 cup) strong coffee (I used 4 shots espresso and added 1/2 cup cold brew to make 1 cup)
 - Use a pastry brush or a spoon to drizzle the coffee onto the cake, try to get it as evenly as possible.
 
Mascarpone Cream
- Place the cold mascarpone into the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a large bowl with a hand mixer) with the powdered sugar and salt.8 ounces (1 small tub) mascarpone cheese, cold (I recommend Belgioioso)***, 120 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar, tiny pinch of fine sea salt
 - Beat at low-medium speed until they're combined and then increase the speed to medium-high for 1-2 minutes, scraping the edge of the bowl halfway through.
 - Add the vanilla and the cold heavy whipping cream in 3-4 increments, mixing well between each addition.240 mL (1 cup) heavy whipping cream cold, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
 - After adding all the heavy whipping cream, the cream may look soft, turn the mixer up to full speed for 1-2 more minutes and it should stiffen up (like whipped cream does).
 
Assemble
- Spread or pipe the mascarpone cream on top of the coffee soaked cake and dust with a generous amount of unsweetened cocoa powder.Cocoa powder for dusting I used dutch
 - Refrigerate the cake for 1-2 hours to set, before serving.
 
Notes
*I found the Belgioioso brand to taste the best and be most consistent in texture from all the brands in the grocery store. If you use another brand, make sure it tastes good before using it (I had a bad one) and make sure the texture is smooth and creamy and not at all curdled or wet. If it's just a little wet on the bottom, just avoid adding that liquid when making the cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 135mgPotassium: 46mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 509IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1mg
