*** Cocoa-Orange Sponge Cake

Cake

• 5 eggs
• 2.5 oz cocoa powder
• 2.5 oz all-purpose flour (if making white sponge cake, replace cocoa powder with flour)
• 5 oz sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Filling

• 3 Tbsp Cointreau, or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 12 oz mascarpone cheese
• 6 oz heavy cream
• 6 oz sugar
• zest of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In the mixing bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, combine the eggs sugar for the cake. Attach the whisk attachment and whisk at high speed until the batter is very firm. Stop the whisk and remove the bowl from the mixer. Combine the dry ingredients and sieve into the bowl. Fold in with a rubber spatula gently, and continue mixing until the mixture is about 80% mixed in (it doesn't have to perfectly smooth).

With a stick of cold butter, butter the inside of a 9-inch round pan. In the class we used a single 12-inch pan. This recipe may require using a pair of 9-inch pans. Dust the pan with flour and shake it to coat all of the inside. If any spots remain unfloured, reapply butter and flour.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean and dry the whisk and mixing bowl. Then, whip together the cheese, heavy cream, and sugar at high speed. About halfway through, detach the whisk and use it to scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the cheese is incorporated. When the marscapone filling is light and fluffy, add in the lemon zest and cointreau and whisk a little more.

If using a single cake, cut it in half and fill the middle with the frosting. If using two cake, simply layer it.