I adore how the blot monochrome palette makes this dish look like it belongs to a Circus Troupe, and when I first saw him speaking backwards I freaked out so badly that I had to recreate that strange, impossible charm in the kitchen.
I finished Circus Trio Finally Completed and i’m honestly weirdly proud. I love how that blot monochrome pallet stands out from looey n yatta yet somehow still fits with the Circus Troupe vibe, idk how to explain it.
When I first saw him speaking backwards I totally freaked out, i cant replay that moment. The dessert pairs a pillowy chocolate sponge cake with silky vanilla mascarpone cream, an odd combo that somehow makes sense.
It feels like Silly Games and midnight confessions rolled into one, theatrical but messy and a little stubborn, the kind of thing you keep thinking about.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour: Mostly carbs, small protein, gives structure and chew, not nutrient dense.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Rich in antioxidants, bitter chocolate flavor, adds depth without extra sugar.
- Eggs: Packed with protein and fat, theyre great binders and add moistness.
- Mascarpone cheese: Creamy high fat dairy, makes filling silky and rich, its not low calorie.
- Heavy cream: Whips into light peaks, adds fat and body, gives luxurious mouthfeel.
- Strawberries: Bright tart sweetness, vitamin C and fiber, it freshens and balances richness.
- Granulated sugar: Pure sweetener, provides structure and caramelization, high in simple carbs.
- Unsalted butter: Adds rich butter flavor, helps caramelize popcorn, mostly saturated fats though.
Ingredient Quantities
- Chocolate sponge cake:
- 3/4 cup (95 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water or hot coffee
- Vanilla mascarpone cream:
- 8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese cold
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream cold
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- Strawberry compote:
- 12 oz (340 g) strawberries hulled and quartered
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch plus 1 tbsp water optional
- Caramel popcorn garnish:
- 3 cups popped popcorn about 1/2 cup kernels
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line an 8 inch round pan. In a bowl whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt, set aside.
2. In another bowl whisk 3/4 cup sugar with 2 large eggs until a bit pale, then add 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla and mix. Stir the dry mix into the wet just till combined, then slowly stir in 1/2 cup boiling water or hot coffee until batter is smooth and fairly thin.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 22 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing.
4. While cake cools chill a bowl and beaters if you can. For the vanilla mascarpone cream whip 1 cup cold heavy cream with 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar to soft to medium peaks, then gently fold in 8 oz cold mascarpone, 1 tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt until smooth and spreadable. Keep refrigerated.
5. Make the strawberry compote: put 12 oz quartered strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium. Cook, stirring, until berries break down and sauce thickens about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want it thicker stir in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water and simmer 1 more minute. Cool to room temp.
6. Pop about 1/2 cup kernels to make roughly 3 cups popped popcorn, remove unpopped kernels and put popcorn in a large heatproof bowl.
7. For the caramel put 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring till sugar dissolves then let boil until the syrup is a deep golden color (or reaches about 300F if you use a candy thermometer), 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, quickly stir in 1/4 tsp baking soda so it foams, pour immediately over the popcorn and toss to coat. Spread on parchment to cool and harden.
8. Level the cooled cake and slice horizontally into two layers with a serrated knife. Place bottom layer on a serving plate.
9. Assemble: spread about half the mascarpone cream on the bottom layer, spoon half the strawberry compote over the cream, top with the second cake layer, spread the rest of the mascarpone and dollop or drizzle remaining compote. Chill 20 to 30 minutes to let things set if you want.
10. Top with the caramel popcorn just before serving so it stays crunchy. Store assembled cake in the fridge, keep extra popcorn separate and add when you serve.
Equipment Needed
1. 8 inch round cake pan, greased and lined with parchment
2. Mixing bowls (one large + one medium)
3. Whisk, rubber spatula and wooden spoon
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beaters, chill bowl/beaters if you can
5. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you use grams)
6. Two small saucepans (one for compote, one for caramel) and a candy thermometer optional
7. Serrated knife or cake leveler for slicing the layers
8. Cooling rack, large heatproof bowl for popcorn and a baking sheet lined with parchment
FAQ
Circus Trio Finally Completed Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Whole milk: swap with buttermilk (same volume) for a tangy, extra-tender crumb that reacts with the baking soda, or use unsweetened almond/oat milk 1:1 if you need dairy free; cake will be a bit less rich.
- Mascarpone cheese: replace with 8 oz cream cheese plus 2 tbsp heavy cream, beat until smooth — flavor is a tad tangier but texture very close.
- Vegetable oil: use equal amount melted unsalted butter for deeper, richer flavor; note cake may brown more and be slightly firmer.
- Granulated sugar (in cake or compote): substitute light brown sugar 1:1 for a caramel note, or coconut sugar 1:1 for a more muted sweetness and darker color.
Pro Tips
1) Weigh the dry stuff when you can, especially the flour and cocoa. Scooping flour with a cup makes the cake dense, a scale fixes that every time. Also, using hot strong coffee instead of water really wakes up the chocolate so dont skip it if you like deeper flavor.
2) Mascarpone is picky, keep it cold and fold gently. If the cream gets grainy or starts to split stop, chill the bowl for 10 minutes then fold in a tablespoon or two of cold heavy cream to smooth it out. If you need the filling to hold up longer for piping or hot rooms, add a little extra powdered sugar or a tiny bit of instant vanilla pudding powder to stabilize it.
3) Caramel popcorn moves fast, have everything ready before the sugar reaches color. When you add the baking soda it foams so pour and toss immediately, spread on parchment in a thin layer to cool quick, then break into clusters; store leftovers airtight and separate from the cake so they stay crunchy.
4) For clean layers and neat slices chill the cooled cake for at least 30 minutes before leveling, and use a serrated knife warmed in hot water then wiped between cuts for smooth edges. If your cake feels a touch dry, brush the cut surfaces with a light simple syrup or flavored syrup to keep it moist without sogging the mascarpone.
Circus Trio Finally Completed Recipe
I adore how the blot monochrome palette makes this dish look like it belongs to a Circus Troupe, and when I first saw him speaking backwards I freaked out so badly that I had to recreate that strange, impossible charm in the kitchen.
8
servings
576
kcal
Equipment: 1. 8 inch round cake pan, greased and lined with parchment
2. Mixing bowls (one large + one medium)
3. Whisk, rubber spatula and wooden spoon
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with beaters, chill bowl/beaters if you can
5. Measuring cups and spoons (and a kitchen scale if you use grams)
6. Two small saucepans (one for compote, one for caramel) and a candy thermometer optional
7. Serrated knife or cake leveler for slicing the layers
8. Cooling rack, large heatproof bowl for popcorn and a baking sheet lined with parchment
Ingredients
Chocolate sponge cake:
3/4 cup (95 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temp
1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water or hot coffee
Vanilla mascarpone cream:
8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese cold
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream cold
1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Strawberry compote:
12 oz (340 g) strawberries hulled and quartered
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch plus 1 tbsp water optional
Caramel popcorn garnish:
3 cups popped popcorn about 1/2 cup kernels
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey
Pinch salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line an 8 inch round pan. In a bowl whisk together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt, set aside.
- In another bowl whisk 3/4 cup sugar with 2 large eggs until a bit pale, then add 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil and 1 tsp vanilla and mix. Stir the dry mix into the wet just till combined, then slowly stir in 1/2 cup boiling water or hot coffee until batter is smooth and fairly thin.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 22 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing.
- While cake cools chill a bowl and beaters if you can. For the vanilla mascarpone cream whip 1 cup cold heavy cream with 1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar to soft to medium peaks, then gently fold in 8 oz cold mascarpone, 1 tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt until smooth and spreadable. Keep refrigerated.
- Make the strawberry compote: put 12 oz quartered strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium. Cook, stirring, until berries break down and sauce thickens about 8 to 10 minutes. If you want it thicker stir in 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water and simmer 1 more minute. Cool to room temp.
- Pop about 1/2 cup kernels to make roughly 3 cups popped popcorn, remove unpopped kernels and put popcorn in a large heatproof bowl.
- For the caramel put 1/2 cup sugar, 3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp light corn syrup or honey and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring till sugar dissolves then let boil until the syrup is a deep golden color (or reaches about 300F if you use a candy thermometer), 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, quickly stir in 1/4 tsp baking soda so it foams, pour immediately over the popcorn and toss to coat. Spread on parchment to cool and harden.
- Level the cooled cake and slice horizontally into two layers with a serrated knife. Place bottom layer on a serving plate.
- Assemble: spread about half the mascarpone cream on the bottom layer, spoon half the strawberry compote over the cream, top with the second cake layer, spread the rest of the mascarpone and dollop or drizzle remaining compote. Chill 20 to 30 minutes to let things set if you want.
- Top with the caramel popcorn just before serving so it stays crunchy. Store assembled cake in the fridge, keep extra popcorn separate and add when you serve.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 225g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 576kcal
- Fat: 38.8g
- Saturated Fat: 19.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.6g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.1g
- Monounsaturated: 10g
- Cholesterol: 119mg
- Sodium: 288mg
- Potassium: 256mg
- Carbohydrates: 63g
- Fiber: 3.4g
- Sugar: 45g
- Protein: 7.3g
- Vitamin A: 800IU
- Vitamin C: 25mg
- Calcium: 69mg
- Iron: 1mg
