Yes, I made the sponge cake in the rice cooker as usual for the latest iteration of my Nutella dessert evolution. You can make it look and taste slightly different depending on how you use the optional garnishes listed below. Whether you choose to drizzle rum over to keep the cake moist with a hint of boozy bite, put a few whole hazelnuts on top or chop them up to garnish the cake, you'll love the Nutella mousse frosting as thick as the cake layers and all around the cake.
Since I've covered making cakes in the rice cooker a few times before, check out my other rice cooker cake posts (Triple Lemon Cake, Sweet Potato Cake) for more detailed steps along with pictures on how to make a sponge cake in the rice cooker. The whole cake can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator. If you want to break up the project, sponge cake and Nutella frosting can be made a day ahead (even cut and drizzle rum on each layer), covered in plastic and kept in the refrigerator. Then assemble the cake the next day at your leisure. While the cake should be kept refrigerated, it tastes better when it's been out at room temperature for a few minutes. The cake softens and the mousse layers that were kept in shape from gelatin also softens, which makes this whole cake just a sweet hazelnut happiness, regardless of how you decorate the cake.
Layer Cake with Nutella Mousse Frosting
(7-inch in diameter)
INGREDIENTS:
Basic Sponge Cake in Rice Cooker
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus a few drops neutral-tasting cooking oil (such as sunflower seed or canola oil)
Nutella Mousse Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart's Chocolate Hazelnut Filling
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 oz. packet)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
Optional)
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1~2 teaspoons cocoa powder
DIRECTIONS:
Basic Sponge Cake in Rice Cooker
See other rice cooker cake posts for more step-by-step pictures (Triple Lemon Cake, Sweet Potato Cake)
1. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, add egg whites and whisk until foamy. Add half of sugar and keep whisking until the foam starts to become fluffy and glossy. Add the rest of the sugar and whisk until the foam gets slightly stiff, glossy and its tip falls gently when you lift the whisk. This is called egg meringue with a medium peak.
3. Add egg yolks to the meringue and gently whisk to mix in completely. Add in vanilla extract and oil and whisk to completely incorporate it into the meringue.
4. Grease the inside of the rice cooker bowl with oil. Pour the batter in the bowl and tap the sides to remove big bubbles in the matter. 'Steam' for 40 minutes or 'Cook' twice (meaning, after it switches from 'Cook' to 'Warm,' press 'Cook' again). In case you have a 'Cake' setting in your rice cooker, follow the direction for the cake setting.
5. Transfer the rice cooker bowl to a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Carefully turn the rice cooker bowl upside down and place the cake on the rack to cool to room temperature.
6. Place a plate on the cake, which will determine the size of the cake (in this case, 7-inch in diameter), and cut out a cake base using a serrated knife. Cut the cake into 3 layers and cool on the rack.
7. Drizzle each layer with rum if using. If you are making the cake ahead, wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator.
Nutella Mousse Frosting
1. In a small sauce pot, add 2 tablespoons of cold water. Sprinkle gelatin and let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
2. Bring it to warm over low heat, just until gelatin powder has been dissolved. Turn off heat and let it rest.
3. Whisk heavy cream until foamy. Add sugar and keep whisking to a soft-peak consistency. Don't over-whip.
4. Drizzle the gelatin liquid all at once to the whipped cream and whisk to incorporate. If the gelatin liquid is stiffened, warm it just until it gets loose again before adding to the whipped cream.
5. Take 1/2 cup of whipped cream and mix in completely with Nutella. Then gently fold all of the Nutella-whipped cream mixture into the whipped cream with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed.
Assembly
1. Dot the center of the cake stand with Nutella whipped cream. Place a layer of the cake in the center of the cake stand. Place 4 strips of parchment around the cake that can be used for catching excess decoration and be pulled out later.
2. Spread 1/4 of Nutella whipped cream with a cake spatula. Place another layer and spread another 1/4 of Nutella whipped cream. Place the last layer on top and use the remaining whipped cream to spread on top and on the sides. It's easier to spread whipped cream from the top down to the sides.
3. Decorate the cake however you want to. I sprinkled chopped hazelnuts and dusted with cocoa powder.
4. Gently pull out the parchment paper strips. It is better to wait a few hours to overnight before tasting if you can wait. Store the cake in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap.
KOREAN WORDS
오리 (oh ri) duck
소리 (so ri) sound
