Il Cucinologo
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Cappuccino and Chocolate Crumble Cake

17/11/2023

The cappuccino and chocolate crumble cake is a dessert inspired by the classic Mantuan sbrisolona, combined with the flavors of coffee and chocolate for a truly unique taste experience. Let’s see how to make it together.

Ingredients

  • 300 g of 00 flour
  • 200 g of cold butter, cubed
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 packet of baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder, as needed
  • 1 small cup of strong espresso
  • 250 g of mascarpone
  • 100 g of dark chocolate
  • Powdered sugar (for decorating)

For the cappuccino cream:

  • 300 ml of milk
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 70 g of sugar
  • 30 g of 00 flour
  • 1 small cup of espresso
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder for decoration

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the crumble base. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder (add enough to achieve the desired color), a pinch of salt, and the cold butter cubes.
  2. Work the mixture with your fingertips until you obtain a sandy dough. Add the eggs and espresso and incorporate them until you have a homogeneous but still crumbly mixture.
  3. Take a 24 cm diameter pan lined with parchment paper and distribute more than half of the crumbly dough, pressing it lightly on the bottom.
  4. Move on to preparing the cappuccino cream. In a saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the sifted flour to avoid lumps. Incorporate the milk gradually and the espresso.
  5. Place the saucepan over low heat and cook the cream, stirring continuously, until it thickens.
  6. Let the cream cool, then spread it over the cookie base in the pan.
  7. Distribute small amounts of mascarpone over the cream and grate the dark chocolate over the entire surface.
  8. With the remaining crumbly mixture, create an additional crumb layer on top of the filling.
  9. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30-35 minutes, until the crumble turns golden.
  10. Let it cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar and unsweetened cocoa before serving.

Fun Fact

The crumble cake is a versatile dessert that adapts to many variations, and can be filled with different creams and jams. In our case, the pairing of cappuccino and chocolate evokes the flavors of an Italian coffee break, making this dessert perfect as an after-dinner treat or to accompany afternoon tea.