-BATTER-
6 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
12 tb Unsalted soft butter; (1.5
-sticks)
2/3 c Sugar
8 lg Eggs; separated
1 1/2 c Walnuts; ground
2/3 c Flour
-SYRUP-
4 c Sugar
1/3 c Water
3 tb Dark rum
FILLING
1 1/2 lb Semi-sweet chocolate;
-(chopped & set
; aside)
1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
1/3 c Light corn syrup
4 tb Butter; softened
4 tb Dark rum
Walnut halves for garnish
This recipe is from the famous Bologna Bakery, Atti, Italy.
Batter: Butter and line a 10 inch cake pan with paper, butter well.
Fine chop chocolate and melt over pan of hot water, stirring occasionally.
Beat butter on medium speed, with 1/2 of the sugar until soft and light.
Beat in melted chocolate, egg yolks–one at a time. Combine walnuts, flour
and stir into butter/chocolate mixture.
Whip egg whites in bowl to soft peaks and whip in rest of sugar –adding in
a slow stream. Whip to soft peaks. Stir 1/4 of egg whites into batter. Fold
in the rest GENTLY with spatula. Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake 350F for
35 minutes. Unmold and cool on rack. Be sure to carefully remove paper
before decorating cake.
Syrup: Combine water and sugar in pan. Bring to boil. Cool and stir in rum.
Filling: Bring cream and corn syrup to boil in pan. Remove from heat. Stir
in chocolate; let stand 2 minutes to let chocolate melt. Whisk smooth.
Whisk in butter and rum. Scrape into bowl and let cool to room temperature;
refrigerate until thick and set.
Assemble:
Trim cake to even beauty and slice horizontally into 2 layers. (Easy way is
to mark division around edge of cake with tooth- picks and saw into with
dental floss, using picks as guides.) Place one layer on 10 inch cardboard
circle. Moisten top of layer with 1/2 of syrup, using a brush. Beat
chocolate filling on medium speed or by hand for 1 minute until density is
light- ened. Spread 1/4 over syrup laden layer.
Top with 2nd. layer and moisten top with rest of syrup (as in prior step).
Top with 1/2 of the remaining filling on top and sides of cake. Using an
Ateco #2 pastry tip (OR your own made pastry bag) pipe remaining filling in
vertical lines across the width…then the opposite width of the cake to
create a window or diamond lattice decoration, with rosettes if desired.
Fill center of each lattice square with a walnut half (optional).
Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator.
Sliced thin, serves 12.
Note: Vino cotto liqueur is often used for the syrup base for such a cake.
Yields
1 servings