Chocolate and Pomegranate Layer Cake Mascarpone Icing Chocolate and Pomegranate Layer Cake with Mascarpone Icing

Chocolate and Pomegranate Layer Cake with Mascarpone Icing Image by: Jodi Pudge Author: The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Look for pomegranate molasses (also called grenadine molasses) in the international section of grocery stores or in Middle Eastern stores. It adds a lovely flavour to this chocolate cake, but it can be omitted if you can't find it.

  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Total time 3 hours

Ingredients

Cake:
Pomegranate Glaze:
Mascarpone Icing:

Method

Cake: Grease two 8-inch (1.2 L) round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla and molasses. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of buttermilk. Scrape into prepared pans, smoothing tops.

Bake in 350°F oven until cake tester inserted in centres comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pans. (Make-ahead: Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate for up to 24 hours or overwrap in foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Pomegranate Glaze: While cake is cooling, in small saucepan, bring sugar, molasses, rosemary and 2 tbsp water to boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Discard rosemary. Let cool completely.

Mascarpone Icing: Meanwhile, in bowl, beat together mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. In separate bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold into mascarpone mixture.

Assembly: Invert cakes from pans; peel off parchment paper. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate; brush with half of the glaze. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the pomegranate seeds.

Spoon icing into piping bag fitted with large plain tip; pipe about half of the icing into mounds over top of cake layer. Top with second cake layer; brush with remaining glaze. Pipe remaining icing into mounds over top of cake. Refrigerate until icing is set, about 25 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 hours.)

Sprinkle cake with remaining pomegranate seeds, rosemary and decorating sugar.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Nutritional facts Per each of 14 servings: about

  • Fibre 2 g
  • Sodium 302 mg
  • Sugars 32 g
  • Protein 7 g
  • Calories 439
  • Total fat 25 g
  • Potassium 191 mg
  • Cholesterol 85 mg
  • Saturated fat 16 g
  • Total carbohydrate 49 g

%RDI

  • Iron 12
  • Folate 16
  • Calcium 11
  • Vitamin A 20
  • Vitamin C 2
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Baking & Desserts

Chocolate and Pomegranate Layer Cake with Mascarpone Icing

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