Easy Naked Chocolate Cake made with chocolate sponge cake layers filled with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Moist, delicious and perfect for special occasions.
Cakes are often notoriously connected to messy kitchens, complicated ingredients, and precise, almost scientific, techniques. For people who are hesitant to commit to what seems to be gigantic efforts to bake a dessert, then this recipe is perfect for you.
Also, check Raspberry Sponge Cake and Quick Microwave Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Making the chiffon is only half of the puzzle when baking the perfect cake. Decorating and frosting the cake makes the other half. Frosting an entire (All sides) cake can and will take time, and often, a badly frosted cake, despite good chiffon puts people off the eating a perfectly great dessert.
This cake recipe is made to not have any frosting on the side. Instead, it is made with frosting piped between the layers of the chiffon stacks.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
That is where this recipe comes in. This Naked Chocolate Cake is brilliant because:
- It simplifies cake decorating. Worry not about your frosting skills, this Naked Chocolate Cakes make a delicious chocolate cake that is both pleasing to the taste and to the eyes.
- This Naked Chocolate Cake also cuts back the time that you need to allot to decorating and frosting a classic chocolate cake. So, it gives you more time to enjoy this dessert with family and friends.
- This cake is not only perfect for beginners, but professional cake bakers can also practice their creativity in making these amazing cakes.
- You say that this Naked Caked Recipe is also healthier than its classic, frosting-covered counterpart. Naked Cakes cuts back on sugar and sweetness as compared to other cakes covered in ganache/cream.
- Naked Cakes are also stylish and trendy. It is a simple spin on an otherwise complicated recipe but is not behind the times, you might say that it even drives trends such as Jam and Coconut Cake and Fresh Pear Bread.
- The perfect cake recipe to celebrate Valentine’s day, Mother's day, a birthday or any special occasion.
- Naked Chocolate Cakes are easy and a delicious spin on the classic Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Ingredients
The ingredients to this simple and deliciously decadent Naked Cake are the following:
All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is the base of the chiffon of the cake. This is an easy ingredient to find and, as the name suggests, an all-around flour that can be used for any baking needs, such as cakes. I also used it in making Moist Cherry Cake, and Orange Drizzle Cake.
Baking powder: Baking powder is an essential leavening ingredient. It helps your cake rise.
Cacao powder: Cacao powder is where the chocolate flavor of the cake is derived from.
Eggs: Eggs are ingredients that make the texture of your cake fluffy, and light, lending moisture.
Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar is the main sweetener that is used both in the cake batter and the frosting of the cakes. You may use brown sugar instead.
Hot water: Hot water helps to dissolve any clumps in the cake batter at the same time, it also makes the batter moister and enhances the flavors that are in your butter.
Sunflower oil: Sunflower oil is a healthy oil that can be used in cake baking.
Heavy whipping cream: Whipping Cream is the main ingredient and is the base of your frosting. Also used in making Lemon Victoria Sponge With Lemon Curd.
Mascarpone: Mascarpone is a rich, creamy cheese perfect for combining with chocolate to provide flavor to your dessert
Nutella: Nutella is also the main flavor used in the frosting and, combined with Mascarpone, makes for the best cake frosting ever.
"See the recipe card below for more information about the ingredients and quantities."
Variations & Substitutions
- You can substitute Sunflower Oil with Vegetable Oil if you do not have this ingredient.
- You can also substitute All Purpose Flour with Cake Flour. Be careful with the measurements though, A cup of All-purpose Flour is equivalent to 1 cup and two 2 tablespoons of cake flour.
- Do not by any means be constricted to the flavors of the frosting. You can always play up the frosting by experimenting with different flavors.
- Top the cake with dark chocolate ganache, chocolate chips, melted chocolate or fresh fruit.
How to Make Naked Chocolate Cake
Make the Chiffon
One: Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F and line three 20 cm round baking tins with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
Two: In a mixing bowl, mix flour, cacao powder, and baking powder until combined.
Three: Separate egg whites and yolks. In a large bowl, whisk half of the sugar and the egg whites with the electric mixer until fluffy.
Four: In a different bowl, mix the other half of the sugar and egg yolks and then add hot water and whisk until the yolks increase in size.
Five: Now, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks and stir using a rubber spatula until combined.
Six: Add in the sunflower oil and mix until combined. Finally, Fold the mixture into the egg white mixture gently until thoroughly combined.
Seven: Distribute the batter between the prepared baking pans and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack.
Make the Chocolate frosting
One: In a mixing bowl, whip the whipped cream until stiff peak forms.
Two: Add the Nutella and the mascarpone cheese and mix with a spatula until combined.
Assemble the cake
One: Put the chocolate frosting in a piping bag with your favorite tip.
Two: Put the first sponge cake layer on a serving plate. Pip the whipped cream to cover the first layer.
Three: Add the second sponge layer and repeat. Add the top layer and spread the remaining frosting with a spatula. Dust the top layer with cacao powder, pip some swirls of whipped cream on top to decorate, and then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Related: Easy Rock Cakes Recipe and Hazelnut Cake Recipe.
Success Tips
Make the best Naked Chocolate Cake by following this tip tips!
- Make sure to sift your dry ingredients. This minimizes the clumps you have in your batter and makes for a smooth batter.
- Do not use cold ingredients. Allow your ingredients to come to room temperature before putting including them in your batters.
- Make sure not to overbeat your cake; this will make your cake hard and dense
- Allow your chiffon to cool completely before taking them out of the pan and stacking them into layers. Taking them out of the pan while they are too hot will lead to crumbling.
Serving suggestions
Naked Cakes are perfect for celebrations. You can make it for birthdays, picnics, or anniversaries. You can also enjoy it as a dessert after a hearty meal such as Healthy Salmon Pasta Without Cream, Chicken Katsu Curry or Thai Basil Fried Rice.
Storage
To store: You can keep this cake in a cake stand at room temperature. It will last for a whole day. If you want to keep it longer, you can keep it chilled inside the fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make the frosting in advance and assemble the cakes the day you would need it.
A semi-naked cake is different from a naked cake in that it has a minimal amount of frosting that covers its side, but the chiffon is still peeking through. Naked cakes, however, do not have any frosting covering its side.
I recommend that you pipe the frosting of a naked cake, but you can also spread the frosting in each layer before stacking the chiffon.
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Easy Chocolate Recipes
- Brownies With Cherry Pie Filling
- Easy Chocolate Tiffin
- Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Fork Biscuits
Recipe
Naked Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- Cake pans
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150 g sugar
- 3 eggs
- 60 ml hot water , not boiling
- 60 ml sunflower oil
For the chocolate frosting
- 600 ml whipping cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 4 tablespoon Nutella
- 1 teaspoon cacao powder , for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F and line 3x 20 cm round baking tin with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, cacao powder and baking powder until combined.150 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 tablespoon cacao powder
- Separate egg whites and yolks. In a large bowl, whisk half of the sugar and the egg whites with the electric mixer until fluffy.60 ml hot water
- In a different bowl, mix the other half of the sugar and egg yolks and then add hot water and whisk until the yolks increase in size.3 eggs, 150 g sugar
- Now, add the flour mixture to the egg yolks and stir using a spatula until combined.
- Add in the oil, and mix until combined. Finally, Fold the mixture into the egg whites mixture gently until thoroughly combined.60 ml sunflower oil
- Distribute the batter between the prepared baking pans and bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes.
For the chocolate frosting
- In a mixing bowl, whip the whipped cream until stiff peak forms, then add the Nutella and the mascarpone cheese and mix with a spatula until combined.250 g mascarpone, 4 tablespoon Nutella, 600 ml whipping cream
Assemble the cake
- Put the chocolate frosting in a piping bag with your favorit tip.
- Put the first sponge cake layer on a serving plate. Pip the whipped cream to cover the first layer.
- Add the second sponge layer and repeat. Add the top layer and spread the remaining frosting with a spatula. Dust the top layer with cacao powder, pip some swirls of whipped cream on top to decorate, and then refrigerate for 1-2 hours.1 teaspoon cacao powder
Notes
- Make sure to sift your dry ingredients. This minimizes the clumps you have in your batter and makes for a smooth batter.
- Do not use cold ingredients. Allow your ingredients to come to room temperature before putting including them in your batters.
- Make sure not to overbeat your cake; this will make your cake hard and dense.
- Allow your chiffon to cool completely before taking them out of the pan and stacking them into layers. Taking them out of the pan while they are too hot will lead to crumbling.
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