Marzipan Midnight Cake

I called it Midnight cake because well...I finished it exactly at midnight for a birthday.

It was more of a random spontaneous idea, but it worked! I'm still smiling looking at this picture (what was I thinking...?!), don't ask me what the inspiration for this caterpillar like design was.

I was tired, I had marzipan, there you go. :)

Don't expect a light cake, it is loaded with marzipan and very rich. The batter is very thick and needs quite a long time in the oven.

Marzipan Pound Cake:

300 gr almond paste (marzipan)

150 gr butter, soft

1 tsp vanilla sugar (or extract)

3 eggs

300 gr flour

50 gr cornstarch

2 tsp baking powder

Topping:

100 gr marzipan

150 gr dark couverture chocolate*

Preheat oven to 200°c. Butter a loaf pan and line with a strip of parchment paper.

Cut 200 gr of the marzipan into chunks (leaving 100 gr aside) and place it in the bowl of your electric mixer, add butter, sugar and vanilla- beat fluffy. Add one egg at a time.

In a separate bowl mix flour, cornstarch and baking powder. While the mixer is on medium low add the flour mixture by the tablespoon.

Now take the leftover (100 gr) piece of marzipan and grate it on a box grater, add the grated marzipan to the batter. Pour the batter in the pan and bake golden for 50 minutes, turn off the oven and let the cake sit in it for another 10 minutes. Let the cake cool completely before covering with chocolate.

To top the cake, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Meanwhile roll the marzipan into little balls or any other shape you like and stick it with some pressure onto the cake then cover with chocolate. ( After pouring the choc I put the whole cake in the freezer for a few minutes so the chocolate would firm up quickly)

*If you don't have couverture chocolate, just melt regular chocolate and after it is completely smooth add a tbsp of neutral flavored oil (like canola), this will thin out the chocolate and you'll be able to cover the cake with a very thin "crispy" layer of chocolate.