CAKE
2 c Water 2 ts Baking soda
1 c Unsweetened cocoa powder, pr 1/2 ts Baking powder
-ferably dutch process 1/2 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla 1 c Butter, room temperature
All-purpose flour 2 c Sugar
2 c All-purpose flour; sifted 4 Eggs, room temperature
3/4 c Cake flour
-GLAZE-
7 1/2 ts Butter 9 oz Bittersweet or semisweet cho
6 ts Light corn syrup -olate, chopped
LATTICE
1/4 c Milk 5 ts All-purpose flour
1/4 c Water 2 Eggs
3 ts Butter Powdered sugar
CARAMEL SAUCE
7 ts Butter 1/4 c Milk
1 2/3 c Sugar Fresh flowers, strawberries
2 c Whipping cream -or raspberries
2 Egg yolks
For cake, bring water to boil. Place cocoa in large bowl. Add water
in thin stream, whisking until smooth. Cool, stirring frequently. Add
vanilla. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour one 14″ or two
10″ round cake pans. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt
into large bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter in another bowl.
Gradually, blend in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour
mixture and dissolved cocoa, alternately in three additions each,
beginning and ending with flour. Batter may appear curdled. Do not
overmix. Turn batter into prepared pan or pans. Bake until tester
inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cover
with plastic wrap and towel. Cook cake completely. For glaze, bring
butter and corn syrup to simmer in heavy saucepan over low heat,
stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until
smooth. Cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until spreadable.
Set aside 1/2 cup. Spread remainder on top and sides of cake. For
lattice, bring milk, water and butter to boil in heavy medium
saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk in flour. Set over medium-high heat
and stir until dough forms ball and leaves film on bottom of pan.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Preheat oven to
350 degrees. Butter baking sheet. Spoon batter into pastry bag
fitting with Number 2 plain tip. Pipe 12 – 4 x 4″ square lattices on
prepared sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 10
minutes. Using spatula, transfer to rack. Cool slightly. Dust with
powdered sugar. For sauce, melt butter in heavy saucepan over
medium-low heat . Stir in sugar, gradually, letting each addition
dissolve before adding more. Cook until rich brown color, stirring
frequently, about 30 minutes. Stir in cream (be careful, mixture may
splatter), then gradually, bring to boil, stirring until smooth.
Cool completely. Transfer to processor. Whisk yolks with milk. With
machine running, blend mixture into sauce. To assemble, cut cake into
4 x 4″ squares or 4″ diamonds. Spoon sauce onto plate. Set lattice in
center. Top with cake. gently, reheat reserved glaze. Spoon into
plastic applicator bottle with fine tip. Pipe two parallel circles
around outer edge of lattice. Using knife, bisect both lines at 1/2″
intervals to form design. Decorate with flowersor berries.
Yields
1 servings