INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

FILLING
SYRUP
CAKE
For Filling: Scald cream in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and
smooth. Pour filling into large bowl. Refrigerate until filling is
very thick but still spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2
hours.
For Syrup: Bring sugar, water and chopped prunes to boil in heavy
small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil
1 minute. Remove from heat. Add Cognac. Cover and let mixture steep 1
hour. Strain, reserving prunes and syrup separately.
For Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350F.
Butter 11x17 1/2-inch cookie sheet with 1-inch-high sides. Line
cookie sheet with parchment. Butter parchment and dust with flour,
tapping out excess.
Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer,
cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in large bowl. Gradually beat
in sugar (mixture will be grainy). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Mix in melted unsweetened chocolate and prunes
reserved from syrup. Stir in flour mixture alternately with
buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and scraping
down sides of bowl. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading
evenly. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about
25 minutes.
Dust parchment sheet with cocoa powder. Run knife around edges of pan
to loosen cake. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn cake out
onto prepared parchment sheet. Peel parchment off cake bottom. Cool
completely.
Trim 1/2 inch off each short edge of cake. Cut remainder of cake into
three 5x10 1/2-inch rectangles (there will be some cake left over).
Place 1 cake layer onto 4 1/2x10-inch cardboard rectangle. Brush cake
with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 3/4 cup filling over. Place second
cake layer atop filling. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread 3/4
cup filling over. Top with third cake layer. Brush with 3 tablespoons
syrup. Spread 1 cup filling over top and sides of cake to coat. Chill
cake until coating is firm, 45 minutes.
Heat remaining filling in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Add 1/4
cup butter and whisk until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Chill
until glaze is slightly thickened but still pourable, stirring
occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Transfer cake on cardboard base to rack set over large piece of foil.
Pour glaze over top and sides of cake, smoothing sides only. Let
stand 15 minutes.
Melt milk chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring
constantly. Pour chocolate into small parchment cone. Cut off tip to
form small opening. Pipe chocolate lines 1/2 inch apart crosswise
over top of cake. Starting at 1 short edge 3/4 inch from long edge,
draw tip of small sharp knife through chocolate lines to second short
edge. Starting at second short edge 3/4 inch from first line, draw
knife tip through lines in opposite direction. Continue drawing knife
tip through chocolate lines, spacing drawn lines 3/4 inch apart and
reversing direction each time, creating chevron pattern.
Transfer cake to platter. Spoon all glaze left on foil into pastry bag
continued in part 2

A Message from our Provider:

“We can do nothing, we say sometimes, we can only pray. That, we feel, is a terribly precarious second-best. So long as we can fuss and work and rush about, so long as we can lend a hand, we have some hope; but if we have to fall back upon God — ah, then things must be critical indeed! #A.J. Gossip”