Preparation

• Prepare the cocoa base: in a bowl break the eggs, add the sugar and beat with electric beaters until you get a frothy mixture.
  Add the flour and, continuing to beat, incorporate the oil in a thin stream and then the milk. Finally add the cocoa and half a sachet of baking powder, working until you obtain a homogeneous, lump-free batter.
  Butter and flour an 8×8 in square pan, pour in the batter and let it rest a couple of minutes on the counter so it levels by itself. Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before removing the base from the pan.
  Prepare the soak: in a glass pour the mint syrup together with 3.4 fl oz of milk and stir until you obtain a homogeneous light green liquid.
  Prepare the cream: whip the cream with an electric mixer. Add the mascarpone and a little mint syrup. Continue working gently at low speed, always turning in the same direction, until you obtain a uniform cream without deflating the whipped cream.

• Take the cooled cocoa base and, using a round cutter with a diameter of 3.5 in, cut out 2 circles. From the same base you get 4 circles, so you can make 2 mini cakes.
  If the surface of the base has domed during baking, trim the dome to obtain a flat, even disk.
  Brush the first disk with the milk and mint soak.
  Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip and decorate the base forming small dollops of cream, slightly larger than a hazelnut.
  Brush the second base disk with the soak both on top and bottom, then gently place it on the cream layer.
  Repeat the decoration with the cream on the top surface.
  Let the mini naked cakes rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
  Finish with a few fresh mint leaves to decorate and add a touch of freshness.