INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER:
Bottom Layer
Ingredients:
6
tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 6
pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
3/4
teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2
teaspoons vanilla extract
4
large eggs, separated
pinch table
salt
1/3
cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar, crumbled with
fingers to remove lumps
Adjust oven rack to middle position
and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 91/2-inch spring-form
pan.
Separate the eggs:
Melt butter, chocolate, and
espresso powder in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of
barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat
and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set
aside.
2. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites
and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds.
Add half of brown
sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds.
Add remaining brown sugar and
beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute
longer, scraping down sides halfway through.
see how the color of the egg whites and brown sugar has changed when the peaks are formed.
Using whisk, fold one-third of
beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold
in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain.
Carefully transfer
batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula.
3. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center
has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing
gently with finger), 13 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool
completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake
from pan.
Notice how my baked bottom layer has shrunken away from the sides of the pan? Andrea said this didn't happen to her. But it sure happened to my cake.
Maybe this is because I left it on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before I put the pan on the wire rack? Don't know. But I did know that the subsequent layers were going to slop over onto the sides and there would not be a smooth finish as shown on the ATK video. So I made a collar.
I tried to make one from tin foil, but it was too stiff and I was afraid of battering the cake, so I made a second of waxed paper.
This I very carefully stood it to fit around the edge of the pan filling the gap created by the shrunken cake and forming the support for the top, delicate layers.
4.FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER:
Ingredients: Middle Layer
2
tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
5
tablespoons hot water
7
ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
1 1/2
cups cold heavy cream
1
tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8
teaspoon table salt
Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside.
Melt chocolate in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of
barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat
and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.
5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment,
whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to
thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks
form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.
6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until
smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to
lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white
streaks remain.
Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently
tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top
with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any
drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.
7.FOR THE TOP LAYER:
Ingredients: Top Layer
3/4
teaspoon powdered gelatin
1
tablespoon water
6
ounces white chocolate chips (see note)
1 1/2
cups cold heavy cream
Shaved chocolate or cocoa
powder for serving, optional (see note) (If you buy Ghirardelli's,
because of the way it is packaged, you'll have some leftover for shaving)
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5
minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in
small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and
stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk
until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room
temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken
slightly).
8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment,
whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30
seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is
lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into
white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining
whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon
white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer.
Smooth top with offset
spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
in the refrigerator
9.TO SERVE: If using,
garnish top of cake with chocolate curls or dust with cocoa. Run thin knife
between cake and side of spring-form pan; remove side of pan. Run cleaned knife
along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve.
Joe had plenty of candles.
There were 22 party guests and everyone (over 1 year old) got a small slice. We served the cake with fresh raspberries. We served completely dairy-free chocolate pecan pie to those guests who can't eat dairy and that way they didn't feel left out.
When we sang Happy Birthday to Andrea,
Jack ran to the table, scrambled up onto a chair
while his cousins watched, Jack came to lend a hand. That was a big fire to blow out!
and helped blow out the candles.
Andrea's family has a wonderful tradition of singing again, in Polish, the Happy Birthday song. Next birthday, I'm going to video it for you. Jack, pleased with himself for blowing out the candles, also sang every word of the Polish version.
Everyone loved the cake!
Ingredients List:
Bottom Layer
6
tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces,
plus extra for greasing pan
7
ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
3/4
teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2
teaspoonsvanilla extract
4
large eggs, separated
pinch table salt
1/3
cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar, crumbled with
fingers to remove lumps
Middle Layer
2
tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
5
tablespoons hot water
7
ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note)
1 1/2
cups cold heavy cream
1
tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8
teaspoon table salt
Top Layer
3/4
teaspoon powdered gelatin
1
tablespoon water
6
ounces white chocolate chips (see note)
1 1/2
cups cold heavy cream
Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder for serving, optional (see
note)
(If you
buy Ghirardelli's, because of the way it is packaged, you'll have some leftover
for shaving
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