Lundi Gras Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

There are two simple tricks to preparing this fancy dessert. First, be
certain to use almond paste, not marzipan Second when making the
filling, fold the unwhipped cream into the melted chocolate gently;  do
not beat.  For cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Line lOxl5xl-inch jelly roll
pan with  parchment; butter parchment. Beat yolks, 3/4 cup sugar,
vanilla and  salt with electric mixer until pale yellow and slowly
dissolving  ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. Beat whites with
cream of  tartar in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3
of  whites into yolks to lighten; spoon remaining whites atop yolks.
Sift  on cocoa and fold until just combined. Spread in prepared pan.
Bake  until springy to touch, about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, if almond
paste is dry or crumbly, combine in processor  with 1 tablespoon
amaretto. Blend until soft enough to roll out,  adding more amaretto by
teaspoons if necessary. Roll almond paste out  between 2 sheets of
waxed paper into 9x14-inch rectangle. Refrigerate.  Dust kitchen towel
with powdered sugar. Turn cake out onto towel;  remove paper. Trim 1/2
inch off edges of cake. Place almond paste on  hot cake. Roll cake up
jelly roll fashion, starting at one long side.  Cool completely.  Pour
3/4 cup amaretto into pie plate. Cut cake into 1/3-inch-thick  slices.
Dip one side of each slice briefly into amaretto. Cover  bottom of
10-inch springform pan with some of cake slices dipped side  down,
working from edge to center and arranging open ends of slices  facing
in same direction. Press very firmly to secure slices. Place  remaining
slices upright against sides of pan; press firmly to  secure.
Refrigerate while preparing filling.  For filling: Melt chocolate and
butter in top of double boiler over  barely simmering water, stirring
until smooth. Transfer to large  bowl. Immediately add 1 quart cream in
3 additions, gently folding  just until combined; do not beat. Pour
into cake-lined pan. Cover and  refrigerate overnight.  Cut edges of
cake even with filling if necessary. Invert cake onto  serving platter.
Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Spoon  whipped cream into
pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe some cream  decoratively around
cake. Pass remaining cream separately.  Formatted for MC and shared by
dianne@olynet.com Recipe by: Bon Apetit  November 1984 Posted to
MC-Recipe Digest V1 #618 by Terilynn Sanford  <terily@tenet.edu> on May
23, 1997

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