CAKE LAYER
1 c Sifted flour
1 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
2 Eggs, at room temperature
1 c Sugar
1 1/4 ts Vanilla extract
1 tb Butter
1/2 c Hot milk
PASTRY CREAM FILLING
1/4 c Sugar
2 1/2 tb All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Salt
1 c Hot (not boiling) milk or
-half and half
3 Egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 tb Butter, cut in small pieces
CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2/3 c (4 oz) semisweet chocolate
-chips
3 tb Milk
1 tb Butter
1 c Sifted confectioners sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round
layer cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or waxed
paper, grease again, then sprinkle with flour to coat completely. Shake out
any excess flour. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and
salt three times and leave it in the sifter. Set aside. In the large bowl
of an electric mixer, beat the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes, until thick and
lemon colored. Gradually add the sugar and beat for another 5 minutes (by
hand beat for 8 minutes). Add the vanilla, mixing until blended. Melt the
butter in the hot milk. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the hot milk,
pouring it into the batter all at once. Sift the flour into the mixture,
gradually folding it in at the same time. The folding in of the milk and
dry ingredients should only take about 1 minute. The batter will be thin.
Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or
until a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool on
wire racks for about 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and
continue to cool. Prepare the Pastry Cream Filling. When cooled and
chilled, spread the pastry cream between the cake layers. Then spread the
chocolate galze over the top cake layer. Allow the glaze to set for 2 hours
before serving.
PASTRY CREAM FILLING In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar,
flour, and salt. Add the hot milk gradually, stirring constantly with a
wire whisk to remove any lumps. Cook over medium high heat, stirring
constantly until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until it begins to
thicken. Remove from the heat. Stir a few teaspoonfuls of the hot mixture
at a time into the egg yolks, beating constantly until well blended. After
combining, return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir and cook for 2 minutes
longer, until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla.
Gradually stir in the butter. Cover the surface of the pastry cream with
plastic. When the pastry cream is cool, chill in the refrigerator.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, milk, and
butter. Cook over very low heat until melted and smooth. Gradually combine
the chocolate mixture with the confectioners sugar. Stir in the vanilla.
Cool until thick enough to spread.
YIELD: 8 servings
Yields
1 Servings