bruno's chocolate cake with chocolate cream

How To Make bruno's chocolate cake with chocolate cream

• 1

  Preheat oven to 375.
• 2

  Butter and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
• 3

  Beat yolks until they are pale yellow and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.
• 4

  Beat in rum and vanilla.
• 5

  Beat whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks.
• 6

  Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue beating until stiff and shiny.
• 7

  Stir 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate and butter into yolks until well combined.
• 8

  Gently fold in 1/4 of egg whites to lighten the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
• 9

  Sift together cornstarch and cocoa; combine with ground amaretti.
• 10

  Gently fold into the batter.
• 11

  Divide batter among prepared pans.
• 12

  Bake until centers of cakes rise and tops begin to crack, 18 to 20 minutes.
• 13

  Cool 10 minutes in pans, then cool completely on wire rack (cakes will fall slightly.)
• 14

  For Chocolate Cream: Whisk together 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate and hot water; cool to room temperature.
• 15

  Whip cream until nearly stiff.
• 16

  Gently fold chocolate mixture and rum into whipped cream.
• 17

  To Assemble: set aside 1/4 of the chocolate cream for decorating the top of the cake.
• 18

  Spread remainder evenly between the 3 layers, stacking them neatly, then spread over the reserved cream over the top and sides.
• 19

  Measure height of the cake.
• 20

  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.
• 21

  Repeat with melted white chocolate on another sheet of parchment.
• 22

  Refrigerate until chocolate is firm but not brittle, about 15 minutes.
• 23

  Cut chocolate crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• 24

  Refrigerate to refirm chocolate, about 15 minutes.
• 25

  Carefully arrange strips alternately around edges of cake, gently pressing into icing.
• 26

  Spoon reserved chocolate cream into pastry bag fitted with a number 3 round tip.
• 27

  Pipe mixture into straight lines atop the cake.
• 28

  Dust lightly with cocoa; refrigerate.
• 29

  Garnish with chocolate leaves. (For chocolate leaves, brush melted chocolate on undersides of holly or lemon leaves; refrigerate until firm, carefully peel off leaves.)
• 30

  Bring to room temperature before serving.
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