Golden Key Cake: A Classic Step-by-Step Recipe

Step 1 – prepare the vanilla sponge cake.

In a bowl for preparing the dough, break 3 eggs (yolks + whites), add a pinch of salt, 90 grams of sugar, and beat until a fluffy, light foam forms.

Gradually add sifted flour, vanilla, and baking powder to the egg mixture. Stir with a spatula to prevent any air bubbles from forming in the dough.

Add melted cooled butter and knead the dough until smooth.

Remove the finished sponge cake from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.

Step 2 – prepare the chocolate sponge cake.

As in the first case, beat 3 eggs (yolk and white) + 105 g sugar + a pinch of salt.

Separately mix the dry ingredients (70 grams of flour + 20 grams of cocoa + 1 teaspoon of baking powder + 8-gram packet of vanilla sugar).

Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, sifting each portion through a sieve and mixing thoroughly until smooth.

Add 15 grams of melted and cooled butter and knead with a spatula until an elastic, homogeneous dough forms.

Remove the finished sponge cake and cool on a wire rack.

Cut the cooled biscuits in half. This will give you two light biscuits and two chocolate biscuits.

Prepare the soaking syrup by mixing 100 ml of cold boiled water, 80 grams of sugar and 1 dessert spoon of cognac.

We soak all 4 sponge cake layers.

Step 3 – making cream No. 1 (cognac).

Beat 120 grams of softened butter with a mixer.

Add 200 grams of condensed milk to the butter. It's best to add it in 5 increments, beating until smooth each time.

Add a dessert spoon of cognac and beat again until smooth.

Transfer the finished cream into a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the refrigerator.

Step 4 – making cream No. 2 (with boiled condensed milk).

Beat 120 grams of softened butter until fluffy.

Add boiled condensed milk in 3 stages, whisking the mixture until smooth each time.

The result is a fluffy, airy cream with a caramel hue, as in the photo.

Step 5 – Assembling the Golden Key cake.

First, we'll make a chocolate sponge cake. Place it on a lightly frosted base and spread with cream #1 (made with condensed milk and cognac).

The cream must be divided into three equal parts:

• 1/3 – for the first chocolate cake;
• 1/3 – for the second chocolate cake;
• 1/3 – for decorating the cake.

Place the second layer of chocolate sponge cake and press it lightly.

Spread with cream No. 1 (based on condensed milk and cognac).

The third layer is vanilla sponge cake and spread with cream No. 2 (based on boiled condensed milk).

Place the top vanilla sponge cake upside down. This will make it easier to level the cake.

Cover the cake with caramel cream made from boiled condensed milk, leveling the surface.

Step 5 – decorate the cake.

Place the remaining cream No. 1 (light) into a piping bag and create a mesh pattern on the surface of the cake, as shown in the photo.

Mix the remaining creams No. 1 and No. 2 and add cocoa.

This creates a beautiful chocolate frosting for decoration. Refrigerate the frosting until it thickens a bit and spreads better.

We prepare nut crumbs to decorate the sides.

We decorate the sides of the cake with nut crumbs.