Chocolate Lime Cake

Name: Chocolate Lime Cake
Ingredients: 120 g chocolate; 120 g butter; 160 g sugar; 80 g almond flour (or almonds, or all-purpose flour); 5 eggs; 1 tsp coffee; juice and zest of 1 lime; pinch of salt; 200 g heavy cream 33%; 100 g mascarpone; 30 g sugar; 30 g lime juice; zest of 1 lime; 1–2 limes

A chocolate cake is always delicious and impressive — everyone in my family is a chocolate lover, especially my daughter. And my husband, on top of that, is a huge lime fan. This time I decided to make a chocolate cake with an unexpected twist of lime flavor and aroma, combining the best of both worlds. I made the chocolate layers without all-purpose flour, using almond flour instead — it gives chocolate baked goods an unusual texture, making them more moist and tender. You can make this flour yourself from almonds; here's a recipe that explains exactly how — Opera Cake. If you don't have either on hand, regular flour works just fine. The chocolate layers will still turn out delicious! I used 80% chocolate; you can use a lower percentage, but then you'll want to reduce the amount of sugar. I added coffee to the chocolate batter, along with lime juice and zest. I also added lime to the frosting. The result is an incredibly delicious chocolate cake — tender, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth, with a sophisticated hint of lime!

Ingredients:

120 g chocolate
120 g butter
160 g sugar
80 g almond flour (or almonds, or all-purpose flour)
5 eggs
1 tsp coffee
juice and zest of 1 lime
pinch of salt
Frosting:
200 g heavy cream 33%
100 g mascarpone
30 g sugar
30 g lime juice
zest of 1 lime
For decoration:
1–2 limes

How to cook chocolate lime cake

Break the chocolate into pieces, add the softened butter, and melt together into a smooth mixture.

Dissolve the coffee in 1 tbsp of hot water (optional — you can skip the coffee if you prefer).

Beat the eggs with the sugar until very fluffy and airy. Beat for a long time — the mixture should become pale and fall from a spatula in a slow, wide ribbon. If you're not sure you've beaten the eggs well enough, add half a teaspoon of baking powder to the batter.

Add the almond flour, lime juice and zest, and coffee to the batter. Stir to combine.

Add the chocolate mixture to the batter.

Fold the chocolate batter vigorously but gently until smooth, taking care not to deflate the eggs.

Pour the chocolate batter into a prepared pan. I used a 20 cm pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in an oven preheated to 170°C for approximately 25–35 minutes.

Make the frosting. Beat the heavy cream with the sugar until thick and stiff. Gradually add the mascarpone one spoonful at a time, continuing to beat. Add the lime zest and juice and beat to combine. Taste the frosting for sweetness and add more sugar if needed. The frosting will thicken after adding the juice — that's perfectly normal.