CAKE
1 c Heavy cream
10 1/2 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
– chopped in small pieces
2 oz Unsweetened chocolate
– chopped in small pieces
5 Eggs
1/3 c Sugar
1 ts Vanilla extract
FROSTING
4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate
5 tb Butter; softened
2 tb Bourbon
2 Eggs; separated
1 1/2 tb Sugar
-SAUCE-
5 oz White chocolate
– chopped in small pieces
1 c Heavy cream
Serves: 8-12 Preheat oven to 350 F.
To prepare cake, cut a round of wax paper or parchment to fit the
bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Butter the pan, fit in the paper,
and then butter it. Coat the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
Bring the cream to a boil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Remove it
from the heat and stir in both chocolates. Cover the pan and let it
stand for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. Set
aside, uncovered.
Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Set the bowl
over simmering water and whisk the mixture constantly until it is
hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with an
electric mixer on moderate, then high speed until the mixture has
tripled in volume, cooled, and it is as thick as a soft meringue,
about 8 minutes.
With a whisk, stir one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate.
Gently fold in the remainder with a rubber spatula, blending until
only a few chocolate streaks remain. Pour the batter into the cake
pan and smooth the top. Place it in a larger pan and carefully pour
in boiling water to reach halfway up the sides.
Bake in the center of the oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 30
minutes in the water, then remove it and place on a rack to cool
completely. When it is completely cooled, run a knife around the
edge of the pan and invert onto a serving dish. Gently remove the
paper.
To prepare the frosting, combine the chocolate and butter in the
upper part of a large double boiler. Set over simmering water and
stir occasionally until they are melted. Remove the pan from the
heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes. Add the bourbon and
stir; whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time.
Beat the egg whites to form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar,
beating until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one-quarter of
the mixture into the chocolate and blend well. Fold in the remaining
whites with a rubber spatula, blending until the whites are barely
incorporated. Chill for at least 2 hours.
To prepare the sauce, place the white chocolate in the top part of a
double boiler over simmering water. Stir until it is melted. Add
the cream and stir for a minute. Cool to room temperature. (The
sauce can be chilled, then warmed slightly to blend it, then cooled
to room temperature for serving.)
To assemble the cake, scoop the frosting gently into a pastry tube
fitted with a fairly wide (Number 4) star tube. Pipe the mixture
over the top of the cake. You can chill the cake for as long as 2
days.
To serve the cake, let it reach room temperature, which will take
about 3 hours. Stir the sauce, then pour a small pool onto each
serving plate. Place a slice of cake on the sauce.
Yields
10 servings