Source: Southwest Tastes By Ellen Brown. Cafe Terra Cotta, Tucson.
Makes 16 servings.
Preparation time: 2 hours
Tips: Half the recipe for a family size cake.
Ingredients
Preparation
14 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted, (see note 1)
1 1/2 cups nuts, ground in a blender
1 teaspoon instant coffee + 1 tsp boiling water to dissolve
Chocolate Cream:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Coffee Buttercream:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 whole eggs
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened
2 tablespoons instant coffee + 2 tsps. boiling water to dissolve
For Assembly:
1/4 cup Framboise or other raspberry liqueur, (see note 2)
1/2 cup strained raspberry jam, (see note 3)
1/3 cup finely chopped nuts
32 chocolate covered coffee beans, to decorate.
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Prepare two 10x15 -inch jelly roll pans by greasing and flouring them, then lining the bottoms with parchment paper. Or line with Teflon sheets.
To make the cake:
1. Beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is thick and forms a ribbon when it falls from the beaters.
2. Divide the yolk mixture into two bowls; add the melted chocolate to one bowl and the ground nuts and instant coffee dissolved to the second. Beat each well and set aside.
3. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy, then raise the speed to high. Beat until stiff peaks form and then slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold half of the meringue into each of the yolk mixtures and immediately pour the batter into the 2 pans.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cover the pans with tea towels and let cool. Unmold and cut each lengthwise into two 5x15-inch pieces. Set aside.
To make the chocolate cream:
1. Bring the cream to a boil, remove from heat, then stir in the chocolate. Place in the freezer until cool, then whip to a creamy consistency.
To make the Coffee Buttercream:
1. Cook the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240 F degrees on a candy thermometer.
2. Beat the eggs, then slowly add the sugar syrup while beating, and continue to beat until the mixture cools. This can be done with a mixer or in a food processor.
3. Beat in the soft butter, bit by bit, then flavor with coffee extract. If during beating of the butter the cream separates, just place it for few seconds in the microwave to warm up, mix with a spatula by hand and the cream will re-incorporate it self. Chill until firm enough to handle, but do not allow it to become hard.
To assemble the cake:
1. One layer chocolate cake brushed with the liqueur. Spread with all the jam and a layer of coffee cream.
2. Top with one layer of nut cake and spread with half the chocolate cream.
3. Top with the second layer of nut cake and the remaining chocolate cream.
4. Finish with the layer of chocolate cake and end with the remaining coffee buttercream on the top and sides of the cake.
5. Mark the cake into 16 pieces and pipe a rosette on each side of each piece. Sprinkle the sides with chopped walnuts and place chocolate coffee beans on each rosette.
NOTES : 1) Semisweet or other high quality dark chocolate can be substituted.
2) You may substitute the raspberry liqueur for Triple sac (orange liqueur)
3) You may use Raspberry Sauce instead of jam. Find recipe under Sauces.
4) The cake can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and should be stores in the refrigerator. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.
Mocha Framboise Cake
