Monte cocoa sponge cake squares with cream

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. First, bake the sponge cake: beat the eggs with the sugar until light and fluffy, then fold in the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder. Pour the batter into a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20 minutes and let cool.

   For the filling, prepare the pudding in the usual way using the boiling milk, powdered sugar, and pudding mixes, then let cool. Beat the butter until light and smooth, gradually beat it into the cold pudding, and mix until smooth.

2. Spread the pudding filling over the cooled sponge cake. For the topping, melt the dark baking chocolate over a water bath, immediately remove it from the heat, and thoroughly combine it with the whipped cream. Pour the topping over the filling and let it set. Chill the finished cake before cutting into squares, if desired.

   Source: tortekolaci.com

Tip: Add the whipped cream to the melted chocolate two tablespoons at a time at first, then add the rest. This gradually cools the chocolate and prevents it from seizing into small, hard pieces.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Monte kocky s kakaovým piškótom a smotanovým krémom