Sahara Cake

Sahara Cake

From the very start, this cake captured my attention with its simple yet stunning design. Some people have even called it the "Giraffe Cake." Regardless of the name, this cake is worth making: delicious, soft, tender, distinctive, and visually appealing.

We had ten guests at the table, and none could guess that the orange color was from tomato paste. I deliberately did this to test if anyone could detect its presence. Rest assured, it blends seamlessly with the flavors, and you won't notice it unless you have an acute sense of smell.

I think the rich cream cheese combined with condensed milk could potentially be replaced with sour cream (20-30%) and vanilla. I plan to try this in the future and report back.

The final step includes a picture of the cake cut. It's quite convincing.

Ingredients

Sugar
200 g
   
Butter
400 g
200 in dough + 200 in cream - butter should be soft at room temperature
Egg
2 pieces
   
Tomato paste
6 tbsp
   
White flour
600 g
   
Farmers cheese
400 g
choose more liquid and soft
Sour Cream(20%)
200 g
or sweet cream for whipped cream, 32%
Sweetened condensed milk
10 tbsp
   
Dark chocolate
100 g
   
Baking powder
10 g
   

Step by step

Step 1

Beat egg whites with sugar.

Sahara Cake - Step 1
Step 2

Add 200g melted and cooled butter.

Sahara Cake - Step 2
Step 3

Then add the tomato paste—put it all in for that beautiful orange hue—and mix well.

No worries about the taste changing; it's been tested and proven :)

Sahara Cake - Step 3
Step 4

Add flour and baking powder, then knead the dough.

Sahara Cake - Step 4
Step 5

A soft, non-sticky dough will form—refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Sahara Cake - Step 5
Step 6

Meanwhile, prepare the cream:

- Blend the cream and cheese well.

Sahara Cake - Step 6
Step 7

- Add 200g of soft butter and condensed milk and mix well; the blender will do a great job.

Sahara Cake - Step 7
Step 8

- Refrigerate the cream until you're ready to make the layers.

Sahara Cake - Step 8
Step 9

Take the dough from the fridge and divide it into 6-8 pieces, forming them into balls.

Sahara Cake - Step 9
Step 10

Roll each ball with a rolling pin and a bit of flour into sheets about 2 mm thick—aim for the size of your plate, as shown in the picture.

Sahara Cake - Step 10
Step 11

Transfer the dough sheet to a parchment-lined baking tray, cutting it to your desired shape (round or square).

Leave the trimmings on the tray for baking as well; they'll be used for decoration. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes.

Sahara Cake - Step 11
Step 12

Notice that after baking, the dough's color shifts from a deep pink to a lovely orange.

Sahara Cake - Step 12
Step 13

Bake the remaining sheets from the other dough balls in the same way.

Sahara Cake - Step 13
Step 14

Line the sides of the tray with baking paper, place a dough sheet, and generously spread with cream.

Sahara Cake - Step 14
Step 15

Repeat until all sheets are covered in cream, then wrap with plastic wrap and allow the cake to chill and soften.

Sahara Cake - Step 15
Step 16

After cooling, remove the baking paper edges, which were used to keep the tray clean during baking and assembly.

Sahara Cake - Step 16
Step 17

The leftover dough that baked along the way can be finely crumbled with a food processor or by hand.

Sahara Cake - Step 17
Step 18

Generously sprinkle the crumb mixture along the cake edges and about 2 cm upwards.

Sahara Cake - Step 18
Step 19

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler, spread it thinly on parchment paper with a brush, and chill for 20-30 minutes.

Sahara Cake - Step 19
Step 20

Once hardened, cut the chocolate into triangles, diamonds, etc.

Sahara Cake - Step 20
Step 21

Arrange the chocolate shapes on the cake.

Sahara Cake - Step 21
Step 22

And here's a slice for you, showcasing its rich taste and beauty. Highly recommended. 

Good appetite!

Sahara Cake - Step 22
Quantity: 1 kg (10-12 servings)
Prep time: 120 min
Difficulty: intermediate
Ready in: 60 min
Publish date:
Collections: Cakes, Desserts

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