Bruno's Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream

Ingredients

Directions

*For chocolate leaves, brush melted chocolate on undersides of holly or lemon leaves; refrigerate until firm, carefully peel off leaves.

For Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Butter and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.

Beat egg yolks until they are pale yellow and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.

Beat in rum and vanilla.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks.

Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue beating until stiff and shiny.

Stir 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate and butter into yolks until well combined.

Gently fold in 1/4 of egg whites to lighten the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.

Sift together cornstarch and cocoa; combine with ground amaretti.

Gently fold into the batter.

Divide batter among prepared pans.

Bake until centers of cakes rise and tops begin to crack, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool 10 minutes in pans, then cool completely on wire rack (cakes will fall slightly.)

For Chocolate Cream:

Whisk together 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate and hot water; cool to room temperature.

Whip cream until nearly stiff.

Gently fold chocolate mixture and rum into whipped cream.

To Assemble:

Set aside 1/4 of the chocolate cream for decorating the top of the cake.

Spread remainder evenly between the 3 layers, stacking them neatly, then spread over the reserved cream over the top and sides.

Measure height of the cake.

On a sheet of parchment or waxed paper, spread 3 ounces melted semisweet chocolate into rectangle 1/16-inch-thick and as wide as the cake is high.

Repeat with melted white chocolate on another sheet of parchment.

Refrigerate until chocolate is firm but not brittle, about 15 minutes.

Cut chocolate crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips.

Refrigerate to refirm chocolate, about 15 minutes.

Carefully arrange strips alternately around edges of cake, gently pressing into icing.

Spoon reserved chocolate cream into pastry bag fitted with a number 3 round tip.

Pipe mixture into straight lines atop the cake.

Dust lightly with cocoa; refrigerate.

Garnish with chocolate leaves.

Bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.