Cake with Eggnog

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CAKE BASE

• 1
  Preheat the oven to 170°C (top and bottom heat). Ideally, prepare three cake pans of the same size with a diameter of 20 – 22 cm. If you don't have three (but only two or one), adjust the baking time (the batter will naturally take longer to bake).
• 2
  In a stand mixer bowl (or a larger bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter with both sugars into a light creamy mixture using a flat beater. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
• 3
  In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
• 4
  In about three additions, alternately beat in the flour, sour cream, and eggnog. Occasionally scrape down any remaining batter from the sides of the bowl.
• 5
  Divide the batter evenly into the pans, with the bottoms lined with baking paper (you can leave the sides ungreased and unlined). If you have 3 pans, bake for 35 – 40 minutes (check doneness with a skewer). Let cool for a while, cut out of the pan, and turn out onto a rack. Let cool completely.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MANGO JELLY

• 1
  Cook the mango with sugar and blend with a hand blender. Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Once softened, squeeze them out and let them dissolve in the warm mango mixture (do not boil). Cover with cling film so that it touches the surface and let cool and set in the fridge.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CREAM

• 1
  Beat the butter with both sugars. Beat in the curd cheese and Lučina. Finally, pour in the cream and eggnog and beat to a creamy consistency.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

• 1
  Trim the top of the cake base to level it. Along the edge of the bottom part of the cake base, apply a ring of cream (ideally with a piping bag). Inside, spoon in the mango jelly and lightly cover with more cream. Repeat the process with the next layer. After placing the top layer, let the cake firm up in the fridge for a while. Then spread the remaining cream over the surface.
• 2
  If you have leftover cream, you can make jar desserts from the trimmed tops of the cake bases (layer the individual cake components alternately).

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHOCOLATE DECORATIONS

• 1
  The chocolate decorations are made from tempered dark chocolate. For tempering, you need a confectionery thermometer and a microwave. Heat 140 g of chocolate in the microwave in max. 20-second intervals until the melted chocolate reaches 45°C. Then stir in the remaining chocolate and let it cool to 28°C by stirring (do not put in the fridge). The final step is to heat the chocolate to 31-32°C.
• 2
  Once the chocolate is at this working temperature, put it in a piping bag. On baking paper, draw houses with the chocolate (you can pre-draw the shape with a pencil on the underside of the paper to follow) and trees, and let them set at room temperature (or use the fridge to help).