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Ida Slapter
 
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Default "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

King Cake is always great...but this is from Bon Appetit in the early
80's. If you love chocolate, this is for you!


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Lundi Gras Chocolate Cake

cakes

CAKE:
9 eggs, separated; room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
14 ounces almond paste
1 tablespoon Amaretto liqueur; 1 to 2 T.
powdered sugar
3/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
27 ounces extra-bittersweet chocolate; chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 quart whipping cream; room temp.
2 cups whipping cream; whipped

There are two simple tricks to preparing this fancy dessert. First, be
certain to use almond paste, not marzipan Second when making the
filling,
fold the unwhipped cream into the melted chocolate gently; do not
beat.

For cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Line l0" x 15" X 1" inch jelly roll
pan
with parchment; butter parchment. Beat yolks, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla
and
salt with electric mixer until pale yellow and slowly dissolving
ribbon
forms when beaters are lifted. Beat whites with cream of tartar in
another
large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into yolks to
lighten;
spoon remaining whites atop yolks. Sift on cocoa and fold until just
combined. Spread in prepared pan. Bake until springy to touch, about
25
minutes.

Meanwhile, if almond paste is dry or crumbly, combine in processor
with 1
tablespoon Amaretto. Blend until soft enough to roll out, adding more
Amaretto by teaspoons if necessary. Roll almond paste out between 2
sheets
of waxed paper into 9x14-inch rectangle. Refrigerate.

Dust kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Turn cake out onto towel;
remove
paper. Trim 1/2 inch off edges of cake. Place almond paste on hot
cake.
Roll cake up jelly roll fashion, starting at one long side. Cool
completely.

Pour 3/4 cup Amaretto into pie plate. Cut cake into 1/3-inch-thick
slices.
Dip one side of each slice briefly into Amaretto. Cover bottom of
10-inch
spring form pan with some of cake slices dipped side down, working
from
edge to center and arranging open ends of slices facing in same
direction.
Press very firmly to secure slices. Place remaining slices upright
against
sides of pan; press firmly to secure. Refrigerate while preparing
filling.

For filling: Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over
barely
simmering water, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl.
Immediately
add 1 quart cream in 3 additions, gently folding just until combined;
do
not beat. Pour into cake-lined pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cut edges of cake even with filling if necessary. Invert cake onto
serving
platter. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Spoon whipped cream
into
pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe some cream decoratively around
cake.
Pass remaining cream separately.

Yield: 12 servings


** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.66 **

The Fine Art of Cooking involves personal choice.
Many preferences, ingredients, and procedures may not
be consistent with what you know to be true.
As with any recipe, you may find your personal
intervention will be necessary. Bon Appetit!