Cocoa sponge, delicate vanilla cream and juicy mandarins create a moist dessert made from just a few everyday ingredients. The batter is ready in 5 minutes, the cream in another 5, and you’ll get about 20–25 slices from the finished cake.
This cake stands out for its incredibly simple no-cook cream. Just put all the ingredients into a sealable container and shake for 1–2 minutes. Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, then let it cool for at least 30–60 minutes before decorating with chocolate.
What You’ll Need
For the cocoa sponge:
- 1.5 cups semi-coarse flour,
- 1 cup granulated sugar,
- 1/2 cup milk,
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil,
- 2 eggs,
- 1 packet baking powder,
- about 2 tablespoons quality cocoa powder.
The cup used has a volume of 250 ml.
For the mandarin Hrk-Hrk cream:
- 2 small cans of mandarins, each about 300–315 g including syrup,
- 250 ml long-life whipping cream,
- 1 packet cream stabilizer,
- 1 packet instant vanilla pudding, for example Dr. Oetker Créme Olé.
For finishing:
- 50–100 g cooking chocolate or chocolate chips.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preparing the oven and tray: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a standard large baking tray (about 30 × 40 cm) with baking paper so the baked sponge can be easily removed.
2. Mixing the batter: In a large bowl, combine the semi-coarse flour mixed with baking powder, granulated sugar, oil, milk, eggs and cocoa. Briefly mix everything with a hand mixer or whisk until you have a smooth batter. Don’t overmix.
3. Baking the sponge: Pour the finished batter evenly onto the prepared tray and bake at 160°C for about 30 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer—it should come out clean.
4. Cooling the sponge: Remove the baked sponge from the oven and let it cool completely on the tray. Do not spread the cream on a warm base, as it needs to stay firm and even.
5. Preparing the mandarins: Prepare a large jar with a lid or a sturdy plastic container that can be sealed tightly. Open both cans of mandarins and add both the fruit and all the syrup to the container. You can leave the mandarins whole or chop them lightly.
6. Thickening the cream: Add 250 ml long-life whipping cream, the cream stabilizer, and the entire packet of instant pudding to the mandarins with syrup. Seal the container tightly so no liquid escapes during mixing.
7. Shaking the cream: Shake the closed container vigorously from side to side and up and down for about 1–2 minutes. The liquid mixture will gradually thicken and turn into a smooth cream with pieces of mandarin.
8. Spreading the cream: Spread the finished mandarin cream evenly over the completely cooled sponge, right up to the edges. Smooth the surface so each slice later has a similar amount of cream.
9. Decorating and chilling: Sprinkle the top with grated chocolate or chocolate chips. Place the tray in the fridge for at least 30–60 minutes so the cream sets and the flavors meld together.
10. Serving: Cut the chilled cake into squares or rectangles and serve with coffee or just as a treat. From a large tray (about 30 × 40 cm) you’ll get around 20–25 slices.
Why Is It Called Hrk-Hrk Cake?
The name describes the unusual but very easy way to prepare the cream. There’s no need to cook classic pudding or whip cream and curd separately. Just put all the ingredients into one sealable container and shake thoroughly.
The instant pudding powder together with the cream stabilizer helps thicken the mixture. Don’t throw away the mandarin syrup—it adds both flavor and the liquid needed for mixing.
How to Achieve a Firm and Smooth Cream
The most important thing is to use a tightly sealable and sufficiently large container. The mixture needs space while shaking so the pudding powder, cream, stabilizer and mandarin syrup can combine well.
Spread the cream only onto a completely cold sponge. Once finished, let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 30–60 minutes, as this will make it easier to cut and help each portion keep its neat shape.
Timing and Serving
Preparing the batter takes about 5 minutes, and the cream another 5 minutes. The sponge bakes for about 30 minutes, and the finished cake needs at least 30–60 minutes of chilling. The total time including chilling is about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Serve the cake well chilled. Thanks to the simple batter and no-cook cream, it’s also suitable for beginners or for children to make with a little adult help.
