Cappuccino Poke Cake. Zoolander would probably call it Capokeccino.
I did not know the poke cake until I saw it on Sonia Peronaci‘s Instagram profile. If you are not Italian you might know who she is. She’s a renowned food blogger and founder of the most popular Italian food and recipe hub giallozafferano.
I was inspired mainly by the versatility of this recipe.
Sonia Peronaci made it with mixed berries, and I must say that it really shines on Instagram with those beautiful blackberries and raspberries.
The poke cake became popular in 1970s America as a simple but impressive dessert. A generic cake base and it is similar to the Italian Pan di Spagna. Baked first and then holes are poked through it.
The holes are then filled with the ingredients of choice (usually a runny cream).
This method opens up for anybody’s creativity.
Aiming for something different I opted for a cappuccino flavor. A fluid coffee-flavored custard cream for the filling and a mascarpone mousse for the top and sprinkled with cocoa powder.
I am very happy with the end result. Pleasing to the eye and to the palate.
But in Italy the dilemma remains: is poke cake, just like cheesecake, feminine or masculine? We’ll never know.
Cappuccino Poke Cake
Ingredients
For the cake base, revisited recipe of Sonia Peronaci:
- 100 g eggs
- 50 g egg yolks
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g flour
- 25 g potato starch
- 8 g baking powder
For the coffee-flavored custard cream:
- 330 g milk
- 170 g whipping cream
- 140 g egg yolks
- 100 g sugar
- 3 tsp instant coffee
- tip of a tsp of powdered vanilla bourbon alternatively vanilla extract
For the mascarpone mousse:
- 150 g mascarpone cheese
- 150 g whipping cream
- 45 g icing sugar
Garnish:
- sugar-free cocoa powder
Instructions
For the poke cake base:
- Grease and flour a rectangular or square baking pan (or use non-stick spray).
- Whip the eggs together with sugar using the stand mixer with whisk attachment (or a handheld). They should be fluffy and light colored.
- Add the egg yolks and keep working at medium speed for about 13 minutes.
- Meanwhile sift twice the flour, potato starch and baking powder together. When the 13 minutes have passed fold the flours into the batter, gently with a spatula.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake in the pre-heated oven at 180° C (355° F) for about 20 minutes.
For the coffee-flavored custard cream:
- Put the milk and cream in a pot on medium heat. Add the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl mix the egg yolks with sugar using a whisk, no need to whip.
- When milk and cream start to boil pour them into the bowl and stir to combine.
- Put everything back in the pot on medium heat, stirring constantly until the cream thickens. If you have a kitchen thermometer the cream should cook until it reaches 85° C (185° F).
- Remove from heat and add the instant coffee. Stir.
- Pour the cream in a different bowl (preferably cold from the freezer) and whisk vigorously.
- Cover with cling film touching the cream and put the bowl in the fridge.
For the mascarpone mousse:
- Using the handheld mixer work the mascarpone cheese in a medium bowl until creamy.
- Add the icing sugar and keep working it until smooth.
- Separately whip the cream to medium firmness and gently fold it into the mascarpone.
Assembly:
- Once the cake has cooled off completely, poke holes using the handle of a wooden spoon. Pay attention not to go all the way down.
- Pour the coffee-flavored cream on top and level with a spatula, making sure it gets into the holes.I helped myself using a pastry injector to fill the holes before pouring the cream.
- Fill a pastry bag with the mascarpone mousse and decorate the top of the cake. I used a round tip.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving.