Zarafa Demur Chocolate Sponge Cake

Shared by Chef Baby

Resident Chef at Zarafa Camp, Botswana

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius.

Then, get ready to gather your ingredients.

Ingredients

• One and a half cups of all-purpose flour
• Three-quarters cup of white sugar
• Three-quarters cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• One teaspoon of baking soda
• One teaspoon of baking powder
• A half teaspoon of salt
• Three large eggs
• Half a cup of buttermilk
• Half a cup of vegetable oil
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Half a cup of hot water

For the filing

• 2 cups mixed fruit mix
• 1 cup Rraditau gin
• 2tbs dice fresh ginger
• 1tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground star anise
• 2tbs fresh mint
• 1 cup trickle sugar
• ½ cup mixed berry coolie

Syrup

• ½ cup Amarula
• ½ cup cream
• ¼ cup water

Butter cream

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2tbs lemon juice

Method

1. Once you’ve got everything, you’re ready to start.
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until they’re well combined.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined – don’t overmix!
5. Then, stir in the hot water until you have a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9×13-inch baking pan.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.

While the cake cools, make the filling.

1. In a medium pot, add on all the ingredients, and bring to slowly heat the mixture
   allow to simmer until cooked and soft. Allow the jus to reduce until sticky then set aside to cool
2. Make your buttercream, mix all the ingredients in a mixer, mix until soft, and then set aside
3. Make your syrup by warming up all the ingredients at medium heat.

Assemble your cake

1. Divide your cooled cake into 3, first, sprinkle the sponge with the syrup to keep it soft, then apply some of the buttercream, then spread accordingly your cooked fruit mix.
2. Continue and assemble the whole cake, and cream and close the cake with the remaining cream.
3. Decorate however and enjoy

We joyfully kicked off the festive season by decorating our Christmas cake with pristine white plastic icing and beautifully hand-painted designs using edible food colours. This creative endeavour was our way of celebrating the heartwarming community spirit of Zarafa, adding a rustic and authentic touch for our wonderful guests as we bid farewell to 2024 and welcome 2025.

As part of the Great Plains family, we are eagerly looking ahead to a year filled with sustainability at its core. Here at Zarafa Camp, we are embracing this vision by showcasing the natural beauty of our camp through the artistry of our culinary team.

Our mission is to cherish what we have today, preserving it for future generations to ensure they too can share these stories. Our land, skills, and heritage are treasures worth sustaining. A shining example of this spirit is Omphile, a talented artist and dedicated member of our kitchen team, who poured his creativity into the stunning hand-painted design on our festive cake.