Forest moss cake

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Today I'd like to share a recipe for a Polish family gathering classic - forest moss cake.

 

Apart from the spinach base and cream we'll also prepare a jelly layer. We'll switch some of the oil for applesauce for a lighter cake. Mascarpone and cream mix is beautifully smooth, and the fruit and jelly counters the sweetness and brings a bit of freshness. A perfect combination!

You'll find the list of ingredients, method and approximate nutritional value below. 



Ingredients (for a 20 cm circular tin)

Cake

  • 200 g baby spinach
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.5 cup (100 g) sugar
  • 3 tbsp (70 g) applesauce
  • 70 ml neutral oil
  • 4/3 cup (180 g) wheat flour
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Cream

  • 200 ml whipping cream
  • 90 g mascarpone
  • 1.5 tbsp (35 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Jelly and topping

  • 1 red jelly packet
  • 170 g raspberries
  • 170 g blueberries

Method

  1. Prepare the spinach base. Rinse 200 g baby spinach and run boiling water over it. Follow it with cold water and squeeze as much moisture out as possible. Add applesauce to spinach and blend it into a smooth puree.
  2. Pour 2 large eggs into a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer at high speed, for 1-2 minutes, until they foam up. Add caster sugar in 2 or 3 batches, mixing after each part until fully incorporated. Continue beating eggs anfd sugar until thick and fluffy.
  3. Add 70 ml of neutral flavour oil to the eggs. Pour it in slowly, mixing the contents of the bowl until thick, but fluid and shiny.
  4. Add blended spinach and applesauce as well as 1.5 tsp vanilla extract. Mix the batter with a mixer at lowest speed until spinach is well incorporated and the batter becomes beautiful and green.
  5. Sift 180 g wheat flour and 1.5 tsp baking powder directly into the bowl. Add salt and mix everything in with a mixer at lowest speed, stopping as soon as flour gets incorporated.
  6. Pour the batter into a greased circular tin lined with baking paper, 20 cm in diameter, spread it and even out the top.
  7. Bake the cake in a conventional oven preheated to 180 deg C, for about 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the top gets too brown, you can cover it with kitchen foil.
  8. Dissolve one packet of red jelly in 400 ml of water and set aside for 15 minutes to cool slightly. Put raspberries and blueberries into a bowl and cover them with jelly. You may not need all of the liquid. The jelly will cool quicker if you use frozen fruit.
  9. Take the ready cake out of the oven and place on a wire rack, still in the tin, to cool slightly, for about 5 minutes. Take the cake out of the tin, remove the baking paper and cool completely.
  10. When the cake reaches room temperature, slice it horizontally with a long knife, at roughly 3/4 of height. Remove the browned skin with a sharp knife, too.
  11. Place the base back in the tin or a tall cake ring and pour thickening jelly onto it. Spread the fruit evenly and put the cake into the fridge until the jelly sets.
  12. Crumble the green part of the top for decorations.
  13. Into a bowl pour 4 tbsp of boiling water, add 6 g gelatine and dissolve it, stirring energetically. Set aside to cool.
  14. Into a bowl pour 200 ml of cold whipping cream and add 90 g of cold mascarpone. Add powdered sugar to taste and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Beat the cream with a mixer at high speed until thick.
  15. Into the cool gelatine add 2 tbsp of beaten cream and mix thoroughly. Pour the tempered gelatine back into the cream. Combine everything with a mixer at low speed.
  16. When the jelly is set, take the cake out of the fridge and spread cream evenly on top. 
  17. Sprinkle the green crumbles on top to create the impression of forest moss. Place fresh fruit on top of the cake. Put the cake back into the fridge for a few hours.
  18. When the cream is set, cut the jelly and the cream from the sides of the tin with a long, sharp knife, using one fluid motion. Take the cake out of the tin.
  19. Enjoy!

Approximate nutritional value

100 g

  • 261 kcal
  • Carbs: 27 g 
  • Fat: 15 g
  • Protein: 4 g
  • Fibre: 2 g

1 serving (assuming 12 servings)

  • 300 kcal
  • Carbs: 31 g 
  • Fat: 18 g
  • Protein: 5 g
  • Fibre: 2 g

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