Cappuccino Ballerina Cake

Thirty minutes before you start cooking, take the butter out of the refrigerator so it can soften at room temperature. Sift the flour. Prepare bowls, a mixer, a rolling pin, and three round springform pans, 13–15 cm in diameter. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in 2-3 intervals of 30-40 seconds, stirring thoroughly after each heating.

Boil water in a kettle. Pour 1 tablespoon of water into a cup and mix it with instant coffee.

In a bowl, place 125g of softened butter and add 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5–6 minutes until light and creamy.

Add the melted and slightly cooled chocolate to the sugar-butter mixture, then mix on low speed with an electric mixer. Pour in the coffee dissolved in water and mix well again.

Wash and dry the mixer attachments. Add 1 pinch of salt to the egg whites. Beat them, gradually increasing the mixer speed, until a fluffy, light foam forms. Continuing to beat, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Bring the mixture to stiff, firm peaks.

Remove the cooled biscuits from their molds. Place one cake layer on a flat plate or cake stand. Spread ⅕ of the coffee cream evenly over it. Cover with the second cake layer and repeat all the layers. Refrigerate the assembled cake for 3–4 hours.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Trim it slightly so that the bottom is narrower than the top, giving it a cup shape. Frost the entire cake, including the sides, with buttercream. Smooth the surface with a pastry spatula or knife. Place the cake back in the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.

Separate about 50g of mastic, roll it into a sausage shape about 1 cm thick and 10-12 cm long. Form it into the shape of a porcelain cup handle, slightly curving it at the bottom. Mold the remaining mastic into a single rectangular mass. Roll it out, dusting with powdered sugar, into a layer 3-4 mm thick, with sides 1.5-2 cm larger than the height and circumference of the cake.

Carefully wrap the sides of the cake with a layer of mastic so that the top edge rises approximately 1–1.5 cm above the surface of the cake layer with cream. Trim off any excess and uneven edges of the mastic from the top and sides with scissors. Firmly press the edges of the layer together on the side and smooth out the seam with a wet knife or spatula.

Moisten the handle attachment points with water, then place it on the side of the cake. Secure the handle with toothpicks and leave them until the parts are fully adhered. Carefully remove the toothpicks from the cake. Wrap the base of the cup with fondant, shaping it like a ballet tutu.

Fill the cup with the remaining coffee cream, then drizzle melted chocolate to create patterns.

Place the mascarpone in a clean bowl and mash it with a spoon. Add the cream, powdered sugar, and instant cappuccino-flavored drink. Whisk everything with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until a smooth cream is formed.

Place 200g of softened butter into a clean bowl, then add the condensed milk. Beat with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth.