Cocoa batter, a hint of spice, creamy quark, and a layer of caramel Lotus biscuits create a moist dessert that’s perfect with coffee or for special occasions. Its dark color and rich aroma come from cocoa or optionally ground Tiramisu Bio spice mix.
This recipe doesn’t require any lengthy beating, as all the ingredients for the batter just need to be simply mixed together with a whisk or spoon. You can bake the cake plain, or enhance it with a quark filling and biscuits. Once completely cooled, the filling will firm up and the cake will be easier to slice.
What You’ll Need
For the cocoa batter:
- 2 eggs,
- 250 g fat, such as Hera, butter, or oil,
- 400 g powdered sugar,
- 250 g plain flour,
- 250 g semi-coarse flour,
- 1 packet baking powder,
- 1 packet cinnamon sugar,
- 0.5 l milk,
- 80 g cocoa or ground Tiramisu Bio spice,
- fat for greasing the baking tray,
- flour for dusting the tray.
For the quark filling and biscuit layer:
- 2 tubs of quark,
- about 3–4 tablespoons powdered sugar, or to taste,
- 1 packet of Lotus biscuits.
Optional for flavoring:
- a splash of rum or a few drops of vanilla extract.
Step-by-step preparation:
1. Prepare the tray and oven: Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Thoroughly grease the baking tray and dust it with flour so the cake doesn’t stick and can be easily sliced and removed once cooled.
2. Mix the batter: In a large bowl, combine the eggs, fat, powdered sugar, both flours, baking powder, cinnamon sugar, milk, and cocoa. You can substitute cocoa with ground Tiramisu Bio spice.
3. Finish the batter: Mix all ingredients with a whisk or spoon until you have a smooth batter with no dry flour spots. There’s no need to beat the mixture. For a more pronounced aroma, add a splash of rum or a few drops of vanilla extract.
4. Prepare the quark filling: Mix the quark with about 3–4 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Adjust the sugar to taste so the filling isn’t too sweet next to the cocoa batter and caramel biscuits.
5. First layer of batter: Pour only half of the cocoa batter into the prepared tray and spread it evenly. If you’re making the basic black cake without filling, pour all the batter into the tray and skip the layering.
6. Layer the filling: Carefully and evenly spread the sweetened quark over the first half of the batter. Arrange the Lotus biscuits in a single layer on top of the quark. You can also use other caramel or butter biscuits instead.
7. Cover the filling: Pour the remaining half of the cocoa batter over the biscuit layer. Smooth the surface gently so the batter is evenly distributed and covers both the biscuits and the quark filling.
8. Baking: Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes. The finished surface should be firm, baked through, springy to the touch, and lightly golden. The same temperature and approximate baking time apply for the basic version without filling.
9. Cooling and slicing: Let the baked cake cool completely. This step is especially important for the enhanced version, as the quark will firm up while cooling and the finished dessert will be easier to cut into neat slices.
How to Make the Basic Black Cake
If you want a simple dessert without quark and biscuits, prepare the whole batter in the same way and spread it all at once onto the greased and floured tray. Bake at 180 °C for about 30 minutes, until the surface turns golden and the cake is springy to the touch.
This basic version stays moist thanks to the fat and milk used. It’s perfect when you want to use everyday ingredients and make an easy dessert without extra layers.
What Can You Use Instead of Lotus Biscuits
Lotus biscuits give the dessert a distinct caramel flavor, but they’re not the only option. According to the original recipe, you can substitute them with other caramel or butter biscuits. The key is to arrange them in a single, continuous layer over the quark and then cover them with the remaining batter.
Final Tip
Don’t slice the cake while it’s still warm, even though its aroma may tempt you to taste it right away. Once completely cooled, the quark layer will firm up, the biscuits will blend better with the filling, and the slices will keep a neater shape. You can serve it on its own as a moist dessert with coffee or tea.
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