Wuzetka (chocolate cream sponge)
The wuzetka cake originates from Warsaw – it was said to have first been made in a bakery along a road named the W-Z route, shortly after the Second World War (the road connected the eastern parts of the city to the western, the Wschód-Zachód areas, hence ‘W-Z’). It is a classic chocolate sponge cake baked in a square tin, filled with cream (the line in the middle of the road) and topped with a cherry. If you are baking this for adults or a grown-up party, use cherry vodka to soak the sponges.
SERVES 9 | PREP 40 MINS PLUS COOLING COOK 40 MINS | MORE EFFORT
120ml vegetable or light olive oil, plus extra for the tin
200g soft light brown sugar 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
240g soured cream
200g self-raising flour
75g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
240ml freshly brewed, hot black tea
50ml cherry vodka (wiśniówka) or fruit tea
250g cherry or plum jam (optional)
CREAM FILLING
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
800ml double cream
3 tbsp icing sugar
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2 tbsp unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp honey
TO SERVE
fresh or canned pitted , drained if canned
