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A traditional take on an Aussie classic! The Chocolate Queen Kirsten Tibballs shares her tips and tricks on making this dessert extravaganza.
raspberry jam
dark chocolate block
1 punnetfresh raspberries
4 eggs
115 gcaster sugar
1/2 tspvanilla bean paste
115 plain flour, sieved
pinch of salt
20 gunsalted butter, melted
1 punnetDriscoll's raspberries
120 gcaster sugar
120 mlwater
45 gdutch processed cocoa powder
20 graspberry jam
125 gdesiccated coconut
20 gdutch processed cocoa powder
400 mlfresh cream 35% fat
50 gcaster sugar
1/2 tspvanilla bean paste
Vanilla and Raspberry Sponge
Heat the oven to 165˚C, fan forced. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until light and aerated. Gently fold through the sieved flour and salt. Mix a small amount of the batter into the melted butter before folding it back through the batter. Break up the raspberries slightly by hand and gently fold them through the cake batter. Transfer the mixture evenly between 2 greased cake tins, 180mm in diameter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-18 minutes, until the sponge bounces back when gently pressed. Allow the sponges to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing from the cake tins. Once cool, wrap the sponges in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for a minimum of 40 minutes.
Cocoa Soaking Syrup
Place the sugar, water, cocoa powder and jam into a saucepan, whisk to combine before bringing to the boil. Allow to cool at room temperature.
Coconut Coating
Place the coconut and cocoa powder into a bowl and combine by rubbing together by hand. Transfer to a flat tray and set aside until required.
Vanilla Cream
Whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer until it reaches a pipeable consistency. Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a 12mm star piping tube.
Assembly
If required, use a serrated-edged knife and trim the top off the frozen sponge cakes to create a flat surface. Select one of the sponge cakes to be the first layer of your cake. While still frozen, brush the soaking syrup around the sides of the sponge. Using your hands, press the coconut coating onto the soaked edges. Set aside until required. Brush the sides and top of the second layer of sponge cake with soaking syrup. Press the coconut coating onto the soaked surfaces of the second layer. Set aside until required. Place the first layer of cake onto your serving plate. Spread a layer of raspberry jam on top of the sponge. Pipe a layer of vanilla cream over the jam in a shell pattern. Sit the second layer of sponge, coconut coating side up, on top of the piped cream. Pipe the vanilla cream, in a shell pattern, around the outer edge of the top of the cake. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the block of chocolate to create dark chocolate shavings. Finish by garnishing the cake with chocolate shavings and fresh raspberries.