Mexican Chocolate Cake With Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C) and with cooking spray, spray two 8” round cake pans. If you have parchment paper, cut a circle to fit and place in the bottom of the pans then spray the paper. You can also use 9” pans.

In a large bowl, whisk all of the dry ingredients together until nicely blended.

In a medium bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk those until nicely blended.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined then split the batter between the two cake pans. Place the pans in the oven and switch sides or rotate halfway through.

For 8” pans, bake time is approximately 45 minutes; for 9” pans, begin checking around the 35 minute mark. In either case, when toothpicks inserted in the centers come out clean save a few crumbs, the cakes are done.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the pans about 10 minutes then flip onto a cooling rack.

Frosting and Assemble

Combine until smooth the mascarpone, cinnamon, vanilla, powdered sugar, and the pinch of salt in a bowl with a whisk.

Whip the heavy cream in a stand mixer until just before stiff peaks form then add the mascarpone mixture. Whip the two together until everything is combined, about a minute.

Pile on a layer of frosting atop one cake, set the second layer gingerly on the first, and finish frosting the cake. Serve immediately and store the remainder in the refrigerator.