Czech Three Layer Cake

This Míša Rezy - Czech Three Layer Cake has a chocolate sponge cake base, cheesecake center all topped with a thin layer of chocolate on top. It’s the kind of dessert cake that doesn’t require much baking and is perfect to make ahead.

Ingredients and substitutions for Czech Three Layer Cake

• Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient here so you’ll want a nice high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a truly chocolate flavor. I do not recommend substituting melted chocolate in equal measure here as this can be quite dense, however, chocolate chips or chunks would work well as an addition.
• Sugar: Confectioner's or icing sugar is used for it's fine texture for both chocolate sponge base and to help set the no bake cheesecake filling. If you cannot source this, you could replace with superfine or caster sugar, however, this might result in a less firm no bake cheesecake layer.
• Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil instead of butter is better here because this makes for a light texture and lends more beautifully to the cake. You could substitute with olive oil for a more earthy flavor or vegetable oil.
• Plain flour: Plain flour or all purpose is best because it helps give the cake it’s light texture and nice crumb. You also don’t want to overwork the batter so you don’t end up with a firm cake texture.
• Baking powder: This helps our base rise so it is nice and light.
• Quark or cottage cheese: Quark is more commonly used in Central Europe due to it’s very light creaminess and a great substitute is cottage cheese which has the right tangy and creaminess.
• Chocolate: Finely chopped chocolate with 50% cocoa solids helps to avoid making our ganache too sweet. If you use a chocolate that has cocoa solids above 70%, it is best to increase the sugar in your ganache to help balance the bitterness.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to bake Czech Three Layer Cake:

Step 1: Meringue: Whip egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.

Step 2: Yolks and sugar: Whip the sugar and yolks until doubled in volume, in a separate bowl.

Step 3: Sieve: The flour, baking powder and cocoa powder in a bowl and stir until smooth.

Step 4: Stir: Toss into the egg yolks and add in the oil, stirring until smooth. Repeat by adding the mixture to the egg whites and folding until smooth.

Step 5: Pour and bake: Pour into your cake tin and bake until lightly golden.

Step 6: Cool completely: Remove and allow to cool.

Step 7: Whip: The butter and sugar for the cheesecake filling.

Step 8: Quark: Pour in the quark and combine until smooth

Step 9: Smooth: Pour over the cooled cake and spread out evenly, tapping the base of your cake tin to remove any air bubbles.

Step 10: Refrigerate: For several hours.

Step 11: Chocolate top: Melt your chocolate and butter and stir until smooth.

Step 12: Set: Pour over the cheesecake layer and spread out lightly and evenly, setting aside to cool and firm up.

Step 13: Slice and serve: Slice through with a warm knife before serving up. Dig in!

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Czech Three Layer Cake

Sylvie Taylor

This Míša Rezy - Czech Three Layer Cake has a chocolate sponge cake base, cheesecake center all topped with a thin layer of chocolate on top for a perfect cake that serves a bunch and isn't too sweet thanks to the tang from the cheesecake layer.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Chill time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 54 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Czech

Servings 12

Calories 454 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Chocolate Sponge

• 275 grams / 5 large eggs room temperature and separated
• 50 grams / ½ cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
• 28 grams / ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
• 53 grams / ⅓ cup plain flour
• 4 grams / 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 28 grams / 2 tablespoons sunflower or neutral oil

Cheesecake filling

• 100 grams / 3.5 ounces butter room temperature
• 156 grams / 1 ¼ cups confectioner’s/icing sugar
• 500 grams / 1 pound quark or soft cottage cheese

Chocolate topping

• 100 grams / 3.5 ounces chocolate roughly broken
• 30 grams / 2 ¼ tablespoons butter

Instructions

 

• Grease a baking tin and sprinkle flour throughout the tin.
• Tap to remove any excess and preheat your oven to 180C/350F.

Chocolate sponge

• Toss the egg whites into a clean and dry bowl and whip until stiff, approximately 9 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, add the egg yolks and powdered sugar and whip until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• Stir the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together in a small bowl and toss into the egg yolk mixture alongside the sunflower oil.
• Stir until smooth and well combined.
• Pour into the meringue mixture and fold slowly and carefully until the batter is smooth, but still fluffy.
• Pour into your prepared baking tin and bake for 14 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool completely.

Cheesecake filling

• Toss the butter and powdered sugar into a bowl and whip until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• Add the quark and whip until smooth and combined.
• Pour over the cheesecake filling over the chocolate sponge and smooth out.
• Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to set completely.

Chocolate topping

• Place the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a double boiler or in a microwave until smooth.
• Pour over the cheesecake filling and tap to smooth out over the whole surface.
• Allow to set completely before slicing.
• Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Quark or cottage cheese: Quark is more commonly used in Central Europe due to it’s very light creaminess and a great substitute is cottage cheese which has the right tangy and creaminess.
• Cocoa Powder: The star ingredient here so you’ll want a nice high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a truly chocolate flavor. I do not recommend substituting melted chocolate in equal measure here as this can be quite dense, however, chocolate chips or chunks would work well as an addition.
• Chocolate: Finely chopped chocolate with 50% cocoa solids helps to avoid making our ganache too sweet. If you use a chocolate that has cocoa solids above 70%, it is best to increase the sugar in your ganache to help balance the bitterness.
• Square tin: A 25×25 cm or 10×10 inch square baking tin works well here, though a rectangle tin of similar size would also work well.

Adapted from top recepty and apetit online

Nutrition

Calories: 454kcal

Keyword cake, cheesecake, chocolate

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