The form of terrazzo used today derives partly from the 18th century pavimento alla Veneziana (Venetian pavement), and then from the 1920s to the 1940s, it was used in the Art Deco and Steamline Moderne styles of architecture and design. It came back briefly in the 70s, and now it is seeing a resurgence in popularity once again. Terrazzo consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, and stone set into some sort of binder like cement which is ground smooth and polished. The fun part of terrazzo is the possible colors and shapes--using different colored stones and different sized chunks of marble allow for a great variety of presentation.
And Katrina Cho created a clever cake that pays homage to the construction of this traditional flooring. She uses a chocolate cake base, but I suppose you could use any base, really. She uses a buttercream frosting infused with a paste of black sesame to mimic the cement base. And then chips of white chocolate infused with food coloring make the terrazzo pattern.
And here are some actual terrazzo floors for your inspiration!
And Katrina Cho created a clever cake that pays homage to the construction of this traditional flooring. She uses a chocolate cake base, but I suppose you could use any base, really. She uses a buttercream frosting infused with a paste of black sesame to mimic the cement base. And then chips of white chocolate infused with food coloring make the terrazzo pattern.
Cake:
150g (1 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
220g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
100g (1 cup) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
240g (1 cup) full fat coconut milk or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
100g (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
170g (3/4 cup) boiling water
Black Sesame Buttercream:
3 sticks butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp black sesame paste (store-bought or recipe below)
White Chocolate Terrazzo Chips:
10 oz white chocolate chips
food coloring of choice
Black sesame paste:
1/2 cup toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp sugar
In a small food processor, combine sesame seeds, canola oil, and sugar. Blend until smooth and somewhat loose. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Make the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Whisk to combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a few clumps of flour remain. Stir in boiling water and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into the cake pans and smooth out the surface with an offset spatula. Bake until a tooth pick comes out of the center clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Set the cake over a wire rack and allow to fully cool.
Make the buttercream:
In the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, and black sesame paste. Mix on bowl until most of the powdered sugar has incorporated. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrap down the sides when needed.
Make the terrazzo chips:
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Divide the chocolate into 3 microwave safe bowls. Add desired food coloring to each bowl and mix until you’re happy with the colors.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a thin later with an offset spatula. Allow the chocolate to firm up on the counter or in the fridge.
Once set, cut the chocolate into small and larger shards.
Assemble the cake:
Spread the buttercream over the cake into an even layer.
Arrange the terrazzo chips over the buttercream and gently press down to set.
Cut and serve.
You can find the original recipe here at Cho's site:
https://eatchofood.com/blog/2021/1/30/terrazzo-sheet-cake150g (1 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
220g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
100g (1 cup) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
240g (1 cup) full fat coconut milk or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
100g (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
170g (3/4 cup) boiling water
Black Sesame Buttercream:
3 sticks butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp black sesame paste (store-bought or recipe below)
White Chocolate Terrazzo Chips:
10 oz white chocolate chips
food coloring of choice
Black sesame paste:
1/2 cup toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp sugar
In a small food processor, combine sesame seeds, canola oil, and sugar. Blend until smooth and somewhat loose. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
Make the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Whisk to combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a few clumps of flour remain. Stir in boiling water and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into the cake pans and smooth out the surface with an offset spatula. Bake until a tooth pick comes out of the center clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Set the cake over a wire rack and allow to fully cool.
Make the buttercream:
In the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, and black sesame paste. Mix on bowl until most of the powdered sugar has incorporated. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrap down the sides when needed.
Make the terrazzo chips:
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Divide the chocolate into 3 microwave safe bowls. Add desired food coloring to each bowl and mix until you’re happy with the colors.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a thin later with an offset spatula. Allow the chocolate to firm up on the counter or in the fridge.
Once set, cut the chocolate into small and larger shards.
Assemble the cake:
Spread the buttercream over the cake into an even layer.
Arrange the terrazzo chips over the buttercream and gently press down to set.
Cut and serve.
You can find the original recipe here at Cho's site:
