Spring Layered Sponge Cake

Diana’s gorgeous oopsie roll cake inspired me to try something really ambitious for Easter.

This cake is so delicious, I have people all over the house eating the scraps of cake and the frosting. I had to tell them hands off of the finished product until I snapped some pictures. That wasn’t easy.

This cake is SUPER rich. Think Cheesecake Factory rich. This means a little slice will tide you over. With 40 ounces of cream cheese, this dessert houses the amount of cream cheese as my ultimate cheesecake, but in a totally different way!

For the first time ever, you’re also seeing my chocolate frosting recipe. It’s a kick fanny dark chocolate recipe that mellows with time and has a nice, deep flavor, and it’s based on Diana’s frosting coupled with my chocolate bar ganache. Love frosting babies do happen.

Some thoughts:

• For this recipe, I used a 10 x 13″ pan twice (jelly roll pans differ from normal cookie sheets in that jelly roll pans have sides).
• If your cake breaks, don’t cry; frosting covers a multitude of sins.
• I don’t have nutritional information run for this recipe, but considering there are 12 servings, I’d guess 4-6 net carbs per serving. Don’t worry. 1/12 of this recipe is REALLY rich and filling.
• If you use vanilla flavored protein powder (as I did), you can omit the vanilla extract.
• This process is really not as difficult as it sounds, but it is somewhat labor intensive, so make the cake a day– or three –ahead.
• This dessert stores and travels well. Just keep cool. This cake can also be frozen.
• It’s not a cheap dessert to make. You’re looking at $8. That said, this is a gourmet cake. A cake like this from a fabulous restaurant like Cheesecake Factory would easy run you $35, so you’re still golden.
• This dessert is gluten free and almost sugar free (not 100% so since I used 85% Lindt chocolate for the frosting). It is not Atkins induction friendly unless you use cocoa powder in lieu of the chocolate bar.

Spring Sponge Cake

Oopsie batter:
12 eggs, separated
12 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar equivalent substitute
1-1/2 scoops protein powder (if vanilla flavored, omit the extract)
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Filling:
16 oz. cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar equivalent sweetener
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Food coloring

Chocolate frosting:
8 ounces bittersweet/semisweet low carb chocolate (I used Lindt 85%)
4 Tbsp butter
8 Tbsp heavy white cream
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4-1 cup powdered sugar equivalent substitute (to taste)

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Whip the whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese with egg yolks, vanilla extract, protein powder, sweetener and salt.

Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture until combined. Spread the oopsie batter evenly (this batter doesn’t level out–it retains its shape, so if you leave it lump and bumpy, it’s going to stay lumpy and bumpy) on the jelly roll pan covered with parchment paper (don’t worry about greasing the pan or the parchment) and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes with a damp dish towel on top to keep cake from drying out. Place cookie sheet on top of the cooled cake. Gently flip the cake over onto the cookie sheet and then carefully peel the parchment from the back of the cake. Cut off the edges. Slice remaining cake into thirds along the width. Carefully place pieces on drying rack.

Bake second cake in same pan with new parchment, following cooling instructions from first cake.

Once cooled, cut cake into three equal-width layers (you may have some pieces of cake leftover).

For the vanilla frosting:
Beat cream cheese, cream, vanilla,  and sweetener together until thicker peaks form. Divide frosting into 6 bowls.
Uncolored: Leave some extra, uncolored frosting to seal the sides and fill in any empty spaces.
For purple: Add one drop blue, one drop red food coloring.
For blue: Add 2 drops blue food coloring.
For green: Add one drop blue, on drop yellow food coloring.
For yellow: Add 2 drops yellow food coloring.
For pink: Add 2 drops red food coloring.

Assemble cake by placing one cake layer down, flatted part down. Top with purple frosting. Place another cake layer flattest part up. Coat with blue frosting. Place another cake layer down, flattest part down. Coat with green frosting. Continue with layers, placing flattest part on top. Lightly press cake to join layers together (not too hard). Refrigerate for an hour.

With a sharp knife gently shave off any imperfections from the front/sides. Notice how the cake below has a flat face?

Use uncolored frosting to fill any gaps between layers and to seal/even the sides. The cake might still not look perfect. That’s fine! Place cake back into the refrigerator for another hour.

The chocolate frosting:
On the stove over medium heat, bring cream and butter to a boil. Place chocolate in separate bowl. Pour hot cream/butter mixture over chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes. With a mixer, mix in sweetener and cream cheese until the frosting is stiffer and fluffy. Use frosting at room temperature. If it gets cold, bring it back to room temp again before using.

Frost the cake starting with the sides, back, and then front. Frost the top last.
With excess frosting, pipe through a #47 cake tip for the edges and the base. For the top of the cake, I used a Wilton 89. (I use a plastic sandwich bag with the corned clipped for piping frosting.)

Place cake in refrigerator until serving. To serve, soak a long knife in hot water for 3 minutes. Wipe dry. Refrigerate remaining dessert. This cake can be frozen.

 Makes 12 servings.

Nutritional Information For the Entire Recipe with Ideal: 7202 Cals.; 277 g Carbs.;  0 g Fiber; 277 g Net Carbs.; 187 g Protein; 499 g Fat
* Nutritional Information For the Entire Recipe, no sweetener values added: 5687 Cals.; 109 g Carbs.;  0 g Fiber; 109 g Net Carbs.; 187 g Protein; 499 gFat
*Nutritional Information Per Serving, no sweetener values added: 474 Cals.; 9 g Carbs.; 0 g Fiber; 9 g Net Carbs.; 16 g Protein; 42 g Fat

*I haven’t calculated this recipe with sweeteners, since they vary so widely. That said, be sure to use your favorite sweetener and add those values in!