From: "Elaine T. Barton"
Apparantly there was a cake featured in a recent issue of Bon Appetit
called the Black Pearl. I had this cake the other night and it is
terrific! I really want this recipe. The wasabi and ginger don.t stand
out they just make the chocolate taste very rich.

You're right, Elaine, very recent issue indeed! Your recipe is in the
current issue of Bon Appetit - Jan. 05! The recipe is available online
along
with a picture at

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/re...s/views/231449 .

Here is the recipe:

Regards,
Ali Whitfield



Black Pearl Layer Cake

TREND: Exotically flavored chocolate
WHO: Katrina Markoff, CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat in Chicago
WHAT: Markoff, one of the first to infuse chocolate with unexpected
ingredients, named this Asian-tinged creation after one of her most
popular
truffles. Its Japanese flavors ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds
are the building blocks for an inspired cake.

Black Pearl Ganache:
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder*
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds*
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature

GINGER SYRUP:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

CAKE:
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Frosting:
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Additional black sesame seeds


For Black Pearl Ganache:
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in
small pot. Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let
stand 15 minutes. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds
and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let
cool
to lukewarm. Stir in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature
overnight to set.

For Ginger Syrup:
Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape seeds from
vanilla bean into pan; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar
dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room
temperature
1 hour for flavors to blend.

Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.
Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately.)

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans
with
2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa powder, and reserved chopped ginger in
medium heatproof bowl. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
in
large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl
until
fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated
after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 4
additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and
ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth
tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30
minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool
completely.
(Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at
room
temperature.)

For Whipped Cream Frosting:
Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and
ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat
surface. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate. Brush top with 1/3 cup
ginger syrup. Spread half of ganache over top of cake. Place second layer,
cut side up, atop first layer. Brush with 1/3 cup syrup; spread with
remaining ganache. Top with third cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup.
Spread sides and top with whipped cream frosting. Sprinkle top with black
sesame seeds. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours. Let stand
at
room temperature 30 minutes before serving. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep
refrigerated.)

*Available in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian
markets.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Bon Appetit




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