Cake
- 2 eggs whites
- 1 1/2 cup [300 g] sugar
- 1 3/4 cups [245 g] sifted cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon [3.75 mL] baking soda
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] salt
- 1/3 cup [80 mL] salad oil
- 1 cup [250 mL] milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 [1-ounce / 28-g each] squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
Cherry Filling
- 1 [20-ounce / 568-mL] can pitted tart red cherries, drained
- 1/2 cup [125 mL] Port wine
- 1 tablespoon [15 mL] Kirsch
- 3 drops almond extract
Chocolate Mousse
- 3 [1-ounce / 28-g each] squares semisweet chocolate
- 3 tablespoons [45 mL] Kirsch
- 1 well-beaten egg
- 1 cup [250 mL] heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons [30 mL] sugar
Butter Frosting
- 1 pound [454 g] icing sugar [about 4 3/4 cups / 1.19 L sifted]
- 6 tablespoons [90 g] butter or margarine
- Approximately 4 tablespoons [60 mL] light cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons [7.5 mL] vanilla
To assemble
- 2 cups [500 mL] whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons [30 g] sugar
- 1 teaspoon [5 mL] vanilla
- Icing sugar
- Well-drained Maraschino cherries with stems
- Chocolate curls
|
- Ahead of time prepare cherry filling, chocolate mousse and butter frosting.
- Preheat oven to 350°F [180°C]; grease and flour 2 [9-inch / 23-cm] round cake pans.
- Into a bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Slowly add 1/2 cup [100 g] of the sugar, beating until stiff peaks form; reserve.
- Sift together sifted cake flour, remaining sugar, baking soda and salt, into a mixing bowl.
- Pour salad oil and 1/2 cup [125 mL] of the milk into dry ingredients; beat for 1 minute, at medium speed of an electric mixer, scraping sides of bowl often.
- Add remaining 1/2 cup [125 mL] milk, egg yolks and cooled melted chocolate.
- Beat for 1 minute longer, scraping bowl frequently.
- Gently fold in reserved beaten egg whites.
- Evenly pour into prepared pans.
- Bake into preheated oven, for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Leave cakes to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto wire racks.
- Leave to cool completelyly.
- Half each cake thickwise, to get 4 thin layers; set aside.
Cherry Filling
- Into a mixing bowl, combine drained tart red cherries, Port wine, Kirsch and almond extract.
- Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
- Drain thoroughly.
Chocolate Mousse
- Combine semisweet chocolate squares and Kirsch into the top part of a double boiler.
- Stir over hot, not boiling, water until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
- Slowly stir chocolate mixture into well-beaten egg.
- Whip together whipping cream and sugar; fold into chocolate-egg mixture.
- Chill for 2 hours.
Butter Frosting
- Sift icing sugar.
- Into a mixing bowl, cream butter or margarine.
- Slowly blend in half of icing sugar, until well blended.
- Beat in 2 tablespoons [30 mL] light cream, and vanilla.
- Slowly blend in remaining icing sugar.
- Blend in enough light cream to get a nice spreading consistency, about 2 tablespoons [30 mL].
- Chill for 30 minutes.
To assemble
- Spread 1/2 cup [125 mL] butter frosting over the cut side of a cake layer.
- Using remaining frosting, shape an 1/2-inch [1.3-cm] wide and 3/4-inch [2-cm] high edge all around the outside of the same cake layer; shape another edge, 2 inches [5 cm] from outside edge, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Fill spaces with cherry filling.
- Spread second cake layer with chocolate mousse; layer unfrosted side on top of first cake layer and chill cake for 30 minutes.
- Whip together whipping cream, sugar and vanilla.
- Spread third cake layer with 1 1/2 cups [375 mL] whipped cream, reserving remaining whipped cream; transfer on top of second cake layer.
- Top with fourth cake layer.
- Reserving 1/4 cup [60 mL] whipped cream, frost sides of cake with remaining whipped.
- Sift icing sugar over te top.
- Garnish with dollops of reserved whipped cream, well-drained Maraschino cherries with stems and chocolate curls.
- Chill for 2 hours, before serving.
|
