Light and cocoa sponge cake, butter cream with rum, jelly bears or candied fruit, and a chocolate glaze create an impressive retro dessert with the typical roof shape. The alternating colored layers stand out with every slice, making this cake perfect even for special occasions.
The preparation has several steps, but if you follow them one by one, it’s easy. First, bake two thin sponge cakes, join them with cream, and after chilling, shape into a roof. Finally, cover the whole dessert with the remaining cream, pour over the chocolate glaze, and let it set thoroughly in the fridge.
What You’ll Need
For the light sponge:
- 4 eggs,
- 140 g granulated sugar,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- 4 tablespoons oil,
- 160 g semi-coarse flour.
For the cocoa sponge:
- 4 eggs,
- 140 g granulated sugar,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- 4 tablespoons oil,
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder,
- Semi-coarse flour – enough so that together with the cocoa it weighs 160 g.
For the cream:
- 500 g butter,
- 7 tablespoons powdered sugar,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- 250 ml milk,
- 2 heaping tablespoons semi-coarse flour,
- 3 tablespoons rum,
- 1 packet jelly bears or candied fruit.
For the chocolate glaze:
- 150 g cooking chocolate,
- 30 g solidified fat.
Step-by-step Preparation:
1. Preparing the baking tray and oven: Line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease it with lard. Preheat the oven to 200°C so it’s ready when you finish the first sponge batter.
2. Light sponge: Whip the eggs with granulated and vanilla sugar. Gradually add oil, then gently fold in the semi-coarse flour with a wooden spoon. Spread the batter evenly on the prepared tray and bake for about 8 minutes.
3. Cocoa sponge: Whip the second batch of eggs with granulated and vanilla sugar, then add oil. Fold in cocoa and enough semi-coarse flour so both together weigh 160 g. Spread the batter on the tray and bake at 200°C for about 8 minutes.
4. Cooking the cream base: Thoroughly mix two heaping tablespoons of semi-coarse flour into the milk and cook into a thick porridge. Let the finished base cool so it can be combined with butter and the final cream has the right consistency.
5. Finishing the cream: Beat the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and rum into the cooled porridge. Cut the jelly bears or candied fruit into smaller pieces and stir them into the finished cream.
6. Cutting and layering the sponges: Let both baked sponges cool and slice each lengthwise into three equally wide strips. Use the cream to join a light, cocoa, light, cocoa, and light strip in sequence. Place the joined layers in the fridge and let them set.
7. Shaping the roof: Cut the chilled joined strips diagonally from corner to corner to get two triangular parts. Spread cream on the remaining sixth strip and stand the first roof part on it with the shorter straight side down.
8. Joining both parts: Spread cream on the longer vertical side of the first part and attach the second roof part to it. Press the joining surfaces together carefully so the dessert holds its shape. Then spread the remaining cream on both slanted sides.
9. Chocolate glaze: Melt the cooking chocolate together with the solidified fat in a water bath. Pour the finished glaze over the shaped roof so it covers the creamy sides.
10. Chilling and serving: Place the finished dessert in the fridge and let it set. Then slice it so the alternating layers of light and cocoa sponge, butter cream, and colorful pieces of jelly or candied fruit stand out in every piece.
How to Achieve a Regular Roof Shape
It’s important to divide both sponges into three equally wide strips. Join five strips with cream and let them set in the fridge before cutting them diagonally. The firmer block is easier to cut, and the layers won’t shift when assembling.
When joining the triangular parts, spread cream over the entire joining surface and press both halves together carefully. The sixth strip serves as the base on which the finished roof stands.
What to Watch Out for When Making the Cream
First, thoroughly mix the flour into the milk so there are no lumps in the cooked porridge. Let the porridge cool before beating in the butter, sugar, and rum. Add the jelly bears or candied fruit only to the finished cream and cut them into small pieces beforehand.
Final Tip
For a cleaner cut, let the whole dessert set well in the fridge before serving. When slicing, cut across the dessert so each piece shows off the contrasting layers of both sponges, light cream, and chocolate glaze.
Enjoy!
