Hey there!  I am so excited to share this epic chocolate layer cake with you today!  

Some of you may know that I lived in Vancouver for 5 years while completing my BSc at UBC, and my time was often spent exploring new neighbourhoods and trying new foods.  Main Street was always a favourite of mine, and I loved browsing through all of the antique shops, consignment stores, and more. 

Nineteen Ten was always a "must-stop-in" shop, and is one of those places where you walk inside and instantly wish it was what your house looked like.  They feature a ton of locally made items, and always have something new to see. 

I was so excited when I reached out to them asking if we could collab...and they said YES!  So, nearly everything you see in this post is from their shop (you can find all the names and links at the bottom of this post).

If I had to choose a favourite item, I would have to say the gorgeous sandwich slab that the cake is sitting on would be it!  It's made of burnt fir, and is a special collaboration with a local Vancouver company Pacific Design Lab.  (And yes...I do have a serving/cutting board obsession, and I'm not sorry!)

So let's talk about cake!  This is my classic chocolate cake recipe with a mascarpone frosting in between each layer.  Real talk: I had so much leftover from making tiramisu from last week, so I decided to try it out with cake.  It's a winner for sure!  I love that the mascarpone cheese gives the whipping cream a bit more substance, but it's still fluffy and not overly sweet like butter cream can sometimes be.  Heck yeah!

chocolate cake with mascarpone frosting

yields: one 6-inch layer cake

ingredients:

3 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

2/3 cup Cocoa

1 TBSP Vanilla

2 TBSP Vinegar

3/4 cup butter, melted (can also substitute 3/4 cup vegetable oil here)

2 cups Warm Water

directions:

Mix together all dry ingredients.  Pour wet ingredients over top and mix together.

Divide mixture evenly between three greased 6-inch cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
 

Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup whipping cream

125 grams mascarpone

1/2 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whip together whipping cream, mascarpone, vanilla and sugar, until soft peaks form.  Careful not to overmix or your frosting may start to separate.  Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
 

Assembly

To assemble cake, first allow cake layers to cool completely.  Then level each cake layer carefully with a long serrated knife.

Fill a large piping bag with the frosting, and cut a hole in the end to start piping.  Pipe large circles around the edge of each layer and then fill in the center with frosting.  Top with strawberries, the fruit of your choice, or even flowers.  Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Keep cake in the fridge before serving, and store in an airtight container.

Sources: Burnt Fir Sandwich Slab: Pacific Design Lab // Sharing Bowl: Barter BC //
Safi Stoneware Pitcher: Roost // Linen Tea Towel: Le Fil Rouge // Olive Wood Serving Utensil: Roost // Gold Condiment Spoon: Roost

Thank you so much to Nineteen Ten for providing all of the gorgeous items for this collab!  I love working with and supporting local companies!

Happy Baking!

-Kels