Brunos Cake Recipes

BRUNO'S CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Butter and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
• Beat yolks until they are pale yellow and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in rum and vanilla.
• Beat 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. (For chocolate leaves, brush melted chocolate on undersides of holly or lemon leaves; refrigerate until firm, carefully peel off leaves.)
• Bring to room temperature before serving.