"Tout nu" is how we call this naked cake, a cake without any external icing. Pretty cute as a name, don't you think? The "naked cake" is right in line with the current culinary trend in pastry. We see it everywhere: served as a wedding cake, or as a birthday cake. Of course, we also like to savor it whenever we want, without any special occasion!
The particularity of the naked cake?
Its allure! A naked cake is made up of several layers of soft sponge cake, and a creamy filling between each layer of sponge cake. It can be decorated with fresh fruit, fruit jelly, coulis, etc. But no exterior icing, unless you just put a thin layer, so thin that you can see all the levels through it. You must therefore optimize the assembly of your cake so that the result is perfect, even without icing.
Back to my recipe, I started with my favorite chocolate base, extra soft. I baked 4 discs, I prefer this technique to having to cut a huge cake into 4 discs. I started with a vanilla filling, with whipped cream improved in my own way (details in my recipe). I added a salted caramel coulis between the layers for an extra dose of pleasure! And then, who doesn't like salted caramel, huh? Who? :)
- 70 g bitter cocoa powder
- 170 ml milk + 1tbsp lemon juice
- 220 g of flour
- 300 g powdered sugar
- 1,5 cc of baking powder
- 1,5 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 85 ml hot water
- 55 ml oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- +
- 100 g of Philadelphia nature
- 300 g of mascarpone
- 110 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 15 cl whole liquid cream
- +
- 220 g powdered sugar
- 130 g salted butter
- 150 ml full liquid cream
- +
- Praline
- Caramel
- Cake: preheat the oven to 175 ° traditional heat. Mix the milk and lemon and set aside 15 min. Mix the dry ingredients of the cake (cocoa, flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) then gradually incorporate the liquid ingredients (milk, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla, hot water). Pour everything into 4 molds 12,5cm in diameter (also works with 15cm molds, each slice of cake will be a little lower). Cook for about 30 minutes.
- Vanilla filling: whip the whole liquid cream into a firm whipped cream (in a food processor) with the icing sugar. Add the mascarpone and the Philadelphia then whisk until a firm consistency is obtained. Finish with the vanilla. Refrigerate until assembly.
- Salted butter caramel coulis: make a dry caramel by heating the powdered sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it takes an amber color, add the diced salted butter and mix vigorously. Off the heat, slowly pour in the liquid cream and mix. Pour into a container and leave at room temperature so that it thickens slightly.
- Assembly: start by leveling the discs of sponge cake with a knife, they must be perfectly even. Place the 1st disc on the serving dish, garnish it with vanilla cream using a pastry bag (material listed at the bottom of the article). Then coat a good layer of salted butter caramel, avoiding the edges of the cake. Repeat the operation with the other disks. Finish by decorating the top of the cake with a pastry bag, adding little pralines and homemade caramel decorations if you want to do like me. This is a very simple dry caramel, drops of hot caramel placed on a baking mat (see material used). The cake keeps cool, due to the whipped cream. Return to room temperature 15 minutes before serving to give it all its flavor.
You may still have some extra salted butter caramel coulis: to enjoy with a spoon or on pancakes :)
In any case, I like salted butter caramel... and also chocolate... and also vanilla! So I really like your recipe a lot! Don't you have a little piece left, it's just snack time now?
really superb!
Wow! Nice, like what sometimes you don't need sugar paste to have a beautiful cake and very appetizing too. Bravo!!
Totally agree with you, Nelo! (personally I'm on the "no sugar paste" team ;-)).
Your naked cake is dizzyingly greedy :)
HO LALALALALAAAA BUT WHAT MADNESS! ♥
What a wonderful cake!
Wow a real wonder, very nice achievement
Hello,
I have a quick question about the mold: If I only make 3 layers, do you think I would have enough dough for a 16 or 18 cm diameter cake?
Merci :)
Hello, 16 yes it will be fine, 18 a bit flat I think... We'll see? :)
Hello!
He is really beautiful, the one he really makes you hungry :)
The naked cake is the perfect cake for those who are against sugar paste and I think it's great!
Yes, it's lighter than a fondant cake! But, I also like classic layer cakes, when the creamy filling covers the outside, like that the cake inside remains very soft, it's great ;)
Do you think I can use this recipe for a wedding naked cake? by making several floors ..
Hello, yes absolutely :)
Hello, I really think your cake is too great. I think I'll make it for New Year's Eve since it coincides with my father-in-law's birthday. Since I can't find a 12,5 cm mold, do you think we can double the portions and use an 18 or 20 cm mold?
Bonjour,
I wanted to know, do we work the dough with a mixer or do we just mix it with a spatula?
Thank you
Bonjour,
Do you use a mixer to work the dough or just a spatula?
(eggs beaten with a fork?)
Thank you
Hello, a simple hand whisk or a flat mixer (the maryse I do not recommend). For the eggs, relax them with a fork.
thank you for your answer and bravo for your blog
Hello and congratulations, I have already tried your recipe and it is delicious. Can I use this same sponge cake to make a multi-level designer cake?
Hello Meriem, yes it is possible, be careful the cake discs are very soft so no heavy decoration! :)
Hello !!!
Jabotez achievement is simply sublime!
I have a question, is it possible to easily cut the base of the chocolate cake in half or it might crumble when cut?
thank you in advance
Hello, it is very soft so it may crumble (unless you freeze it for several hours before cutting it)
Hello Aurélie,
I'm finally taking the time to send you this comment, because for my son's birthday at the beginning of January, I made your biscuit. My son - as well as the whole family, found it excellent! super soft, crazy stuff! Not having a 12,5cm diameter mold, I made 2 of 20cm. It was high enough for my son (it was his wish: a cake "that has height"!). For the rest, I did according to his tastes, that is to say very firm whipped cream and raspberry confit. First, the cake was superb; second, it was excellent. So thank you for this very good recipe!
[…] and deliciousness ;)). I almost exclusively based myself on the layer cake recipe from Lilie Bakery to make this cake (by drastically reducing the amount of sugar in the cake that […]
Hello,
Is it possible to make this cake the day before for the next day or is it better to make it the same day?
Thank you in advance for your feedback.
I can't wait to try it!
Hello Anaïs, you can do it the day before without any problem: keep it in the fridge, however, ideally under a bell to preserve it. Add your decorations on D-Day. See you soon :)
Good morning! Already congratulations your naked cake is beautiful!
I have a little question, I plan to make the recipe in its entirety, but in "Layer Cake" mode covered with a Galaxy mirror glaze for a little boy who is celebrating his birthday soon. However, putting the glaze is easier on a frozen cake, so I wanted to know if it was possible to freeze this cake (so the biscuit, the vanilla filling, the caramel coulis) without any problem? I'm afraid that when defrosting it will make me pay for it
Thank you in advance
Hello Laëtitia, thank you! I don't think a mirror glaze can be done on anything other than a dessert. I've never seen that anyway...
Good morning ! Great recipe. The cake is super moist and chocolatey. On the other hand, I find that the mascarpone cream is too sweet in my opinion, especially if you add caramel + praline.
I used this recipe as a base cake to make an XXL layer cake. I had to use wooden sticks to give it structure, but overall it turned out really well and everyone enjoyed it! Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for your feedback Corine! Glad that this naked cake pleased your guests! The sugar is to be adjusted according to the tastes of each (up to a certain extent), you are right to adapt it to what you like, see you soon :)