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TO ASSEMBLE:
Cover
heavy cardboard in foil in a size a bit larger than cake, or have strips
of waxed paper ready to put under edged of cake on the plate that cake
will be served on.
Cut each cake
lengthwise in half. Place one layer on the cardboard/covered plate.
Spread ½ cup or so of chocolate filling over. Top with a layer of the
opposite flavor of cake, continuing until all layers but the top layer
are filled.
For the top layer,
either use a pastry bag fitted with large plain round tip and pipe
filling atop cake in side-by-side, lengthwise rows, then smooth top. Or
spread the filling carefully on top with the spatula, getting it as
smooth and even as possible. |
20. Every-kind-of-chocolate Gateau
Most Decadent
(Susan H.)
This
decadent cake has two thin layers of flourless, bittersweet chocolate
cake with orange and hazelnuts and two layers of flourless white
chocolate cake with blanched almonds flavored with crème de cacao.
Between the layers and on top is an intense milk chocolate mousse. It’s
covered in a semisweet chocolate glaze and decorated with dark, milk and
white chocolate curls, roasted hazelnuts and strips of candied orange
peel or an equivalent.
The individual
cakes are delicious on their own, if you want to simplify your efforts
and just make one cake. You can cover it with a chocolate glaze, with
chocolate buttercream, or with just a dusting of powdered sugar. Or
nothing.
> > For best
results, use premium-quality chocolate. The ones I used include:
Callebaut, Valhrona, Lindt and Scharffen Berger.
>>
Both cakes
can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen.
16 TO 20
SERVINGS |
Dark Chocolate Gateau
-
4-5 ounces your preferred mixture of chocolate, which can include
unsweetened, bittersweet or semisweet; chopped or chunked
-
1/3
cup (packed) dark brown sugar
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
½-¾ teaspoon (to taste) grated orange peel
-
½ teaspoon sea salt
-
2 large eggs
-
2 tablespoons sugar
-
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
-
½-¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, chopped
for cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Line 13x9x1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper; butter parchment.
Combine first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan
of barely simmering water or in double boiler; stir until chocolate and
butter melt. Remove bowl from over water; stir in salt (mixture will be
grainy).
Beat eggs and 2 tablespoons sugar in another medium
bowl until pale, about
6 minutes; fold into chocolate mixture.
Fold in flour, then hazelnuts. Spread batter evenly on baking sheet.
Bake until
tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached,
about
13 minutes (cake will be thin). Transfer pan to rack. Cool cake
completely. |
White
Chocolate Gateau
1.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9x1-inch pan. Line pan
with parchment paper, then butter and flour the paper.
2.
Melt the white chocolate over hot water.
3.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter
and sugar. Continuously beating, add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and
beat until the mixture is very thick. Slow the machine down, add
the melted white chocolate and crème de cacao, and mix just until
blended. By hand, stir in the ground almonds and graham cracker
crumbs.
4.
.
Beat the egg whites until
they form stiff but not dry peaks. Stir 1/3 of the whites into the yolk
mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whites.
5. Rapidly spread the mixture
onto the prepared pan and smooth it lightly. Bake for 30 minutes, or
until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from
oven and let cool completely. |
|
Chill until filling
is firm, about 1 hour. Spoon glaze over top of cake, allowing
glaze to run down sides. Using offset spatula, smooth glaze over sides.
Carefully fill in the entire cake with a smooth layer of glaze. When the
whole cake is covered, carefully remove the strips of waxed paper.
Mound chocolate
shards or curls over top and sides of cake. Garnish with
hazelnuts and candied orange peel. If you don’t want to make the candied
peel, guy dried papaya or mango (which looks the same) and cut it into
strips.
Refrigerate until glaze is set, at least 2 hours.
(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.) |
Milk Chocolate Mousse Filling
-
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
-
4 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
-
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
-
6.7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
for
filling:
Combine chocolates in medium metal bowl. Bring 1 1/3 cups
cream
to simmer in small saucepan; pour cream over chocolates and let stand 1
minute.
Stir until melted and smooth. Chill mixture until firm, about 2 hours.
Place bowl with chilled chocolate mixture over
saucepan of barely simmering water until mixture is partially melted (do
not stir), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water; add
butter to bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until filling is thick and
glossy, about 3 minutes. Using clean dry beaters, beat the remainder of
the chilled whipping cream in another medium bowl until peaks form. Fold
whipped cream into filling.
|
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TECHNIQUE FOR
MAKING CHOCOLATE CURLS
To make thick chocolate shards
or curls, heat one- to two-inch-thick pieces of bittersweet, milk and
white chocolate (individually) in the microwave on
high just until chocolate begins to soften very slightly. Place
chocolate on work surface, flat side up. Using a large chef's knife,
grasp top of knife (dull side) with both hands and drag and scrape knife
across surface of chocolate to form curls |
Chocolate Glaze
-
¾
cup heavy whipping cream
-
1 ½ tablespoon light corn syrup
-
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
-
1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
for glaze:
Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from
heat. Add chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Add butter;
stir until melted. Let stand until barely lukewarm but still pourable,
about 20 minutes.
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