OTHER CAKES: This was one of the first cakes I've ever learned to make in the baking classes I attended 35 years ago. It takes a bit of work but the result is more than satisfying.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COFFEE & CHOCOLATE CREAM:

 

 

 

cake:  1 chocolate sponge case, see posted recipe

 

filling:

    4 tbsp. butter                                                           

    3 tbsp. icing sugar

    2 egg yolks                                                 

    4 tbsp. ground almond

    1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted             

    ½ cup strong coffee

    4 tbsp. sherry                                                          

    2 tbsp. sugar           

decorations:

    2 cups whipping cream                               

    3-4 tbsp. icing sugar

    4 tbsp. toasted flaked almonds                   

    3-4 chocolate coronets        

    2 oz semi-sweet chocolate

 

 

           

Follow recipe to make chocolate sponge cake and slice cake into 3 layers when cooled.

 

Mix sherry, sugar and coffee together, then set aside. Beat together butter, icing sugar, egg yolk, ground almond and melted chocolate.

 

Line bottom of 8-inch spring-form pan with wax paper and arrange one layer of cake on it. Soak this layer with 1/3 of the sherry and coffee mixture; then top it with ½ of almond and chocolate filling. Cover this with the second layer of cake. Repeat the soaking and spreading of filling on this layer; then top it with the last layer of cake. Pour remaining sherry-coffee mixture over the top layer. Invert a plate over the cake; then arrange un-opened canned goods on top to act as weights to press cake down. Leave cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

 

Whip cream until fairly firm; then add icing sugar to taste and whip until stiff. Turn cake out of spring-form pan and cover it with a layer of cream, reserving some cream for filling coronets. Place toasted almonds around the sides of cake.

 

To make chocolate cornets: Melt 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate and keep it warm over hot water. Use wax paper to make 4 cones. Use a fine brush to dip into melted chocolate; then paint the inside of the wax-paper cones with it. Take care to paint a layer of chocolate of even thickness that will not easily break. Refrigerate paper cones until chocolate is set and firm. Peel off wax paper carefully to reveal the chocolate cones. Fill a piping bag, with ½-inch plain nozzle fitted, with whipped cream and fill cones with cream. Carefully arrange chocolate coronets over the cake decoratively. Refrigerate until serving time.