Cocoa batter, delicate quark, sour cream, and vanilla pudding create a beautifully moist cake with a fluffy texture. Thanks to the whipped egg whites, the batter is light, while the creamy quark layer remains pleasantly smooth after baking.
This dessert is made without weighing ingredients, as a regular mug is all you need for measuring. Simply layer the batter and filling onto a baking tray and bake. The cake tastes great once completely cooled and is even better the next day with coffee. If you like, you can add raisins soaked in rum or pieces of peaches.
What You’ll Need
For the cocoa batter:
- 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated,
- 1 cup granulated sugar,
- 1 cup milk,
- 1 cup oil,
- 3 cups semi-coarse flour,
- 1 packet baking powder,
- ½ cup quality cocoa powder.
For the creamy quark filling:
- 500 g smooth quark (in a tub),
- 3 eggs,
- 1 tub sour cream,
- 8 tablespoons granulated sugar,
- 1 packet vanilla sugar,
- 8 tablespoons oil,
- 1 packet vanilla pudding powder.
For preparing the baking tray:
- fat and flour or baking paper.
The cup or mug used has a volume of 250 ml.
Step-by-step preparation:
1. Separating the eggs: Separate the four eggs for the cocoa batter into yolks and whites. Set the whites aside in a clean bowl to whip into stiff peaks later.
2. Preparing the cocoa base: Beat the yolks with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. While mixing, gradually add oil and milk so all the liquid ingredients combine evenly.
3. Adding the dry ingredients: Sift the semi-coarse flour together with the baking powder and cocoa. Gradually fold the dry mixture into the yolk base and work it into a smooth cocoa batter without lumps.
4. Folding in the egg whites: Whip the reserved egg whites into stiff peaks. Gently fold them into the cocoa batter as the last ingredient, using a spatula or wooden spoon. Careful mixing helps keep the batter airy.
5. Preparing the quark filling: In a separate bowl, mix the smooth quark, three eggs, both sugars, sour cream, and oil. Add the vanilla pudding powder and mix or briefly beat with a mixer. The result should be a smooth, slightly runny mixture.
6. Preparing the baking tray: Grease the tray with fat and dust with flour. Instead of greasing and flouring, you can also use baking paper, which makes it easier to remove and cut the cooled cake.
7. Layering: Pour half of the cocoa batter onto the prepared tray and spread evenly. Carefully add all the quark filling, then pour over the remaining half of the cocoa batter. For a marbled effect, gently swirl the layers with a fork.
8. Baking: Place the cake in an oven preheated to 170 °C and bake for about 40 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer—the finished cocoa batter should not stick.
9. Cooling: Let the baked cake cool completely before cutting. The quark layer will firm up as it cools, making it easier to slice and helping the layers keep their nice shape.
How to Achieve a Fluffy Batter
The most important thing is the whipped egg whites, which are folded in at the very end. Work gently with a spatula or wooden spoon and avoid overmixing the batter. You can bake the cake without the egg whites, but the texture will be denser and more like a pound cake.
Why Use Pudding Powder in the Filling
Vanilla pudding powder acts as a binder in the quark filling. It helps prevent the filling from leaking out during baking and ensures it holds its shape once fully cooled, while still staying smooth.
Final Tip
For a creamier filling, use full-fat quark in a tub instead of block quark. To taste, you can also add raisins soaked in rum or pieces of peach to the quark mixture. Serve the finished cake completely cooled, ideally with a cup of coffee.
