Bruno's Chocolate Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 9 eggs, separated, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dark rum
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (3/4 stick)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 ounces amaretti, finely ground (italian macaroons)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 ounce amaretti, finely ground
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 3 ounces chocolate, melted
• unsweetened cocoa powder, to decorate
• chocolate leaves, to decorate
• chocolate, balls (small)

Recipe

• 1 for cake:.
• 2 preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 3 butter and flour three 9 inch round cake pans.
• 4 beat yolks until lightand slowly disolving ribbon forms when beaters are lifted.
• 5 stir in rum and vanilla.
• 6 beat whites with cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks.
• 7 add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue beating until stiff and shiny.
• 8 stir chocolate and butter into yolks until well combined.
• 9 gently fold in 1/4 of egg whites, then fold chocolate mixture into remaining whites.
• 10 sift together cornstarch and cocoa powder; combine with amaretti;gently fold into batter.
• 11 divide batter among prepared pans.
• 12 bake until centers of cakes rise and begin to crack, 18 to 20 minutes.
• 13 cool 10 minutes in pan, then cool completely on wire rack.
• 14 for chocolate cream;.
• 15 whisk 1/2 cup hot water into 4 oz. melted semisweet chocolate.
• 16 cool to room temperature.
• 17 whip cream until stiff peaks form; gently fold chocolate mixture, amaretti and rum into whipped cream.
• 18 to assemble:.
• 19 reserve 1/4 of chocolate cream for decorating top of cake.
• 20 spread remainder evenly between layers and over top and sides.
• 21 measure height of cake.
• 22 on sheet of parchment spread 3 oz. melted semisweet chocolate into 1/16 inch-thick rectangle as wide as cake is high.
• 23 repeat with melted chocolate on another sheet of parchment.
• 24 refrigerate until chocolate is firm, but not brittle, about 15 minutes.
• 25 cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips.
• 26 refrigerate to refirm chocolate, about 15 minutes.
• 27 carefully arrange strips alternating around edges of cake,gently pressing into icing.
• 28 spoon remaining pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a no. 3 plain tip.
• 29 pipe mixture in straight lines atop cake.
• 30 dust lightly with cocoa powder; refrigerate.
• 31 cake may be prepared 1 day ahead.
• 32 decorate with chocolate leaves and balls.
• 33 bring to room temperature before serving.