Recipe - Chocolate Gift Basket

SYRUP
1/3 cup Water
1/3 cup Sugar
1 One half tablespoon Dark creme de cacao
One half teaspoon Vanilla extract

GENOISE
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Three fourths cup Plus 2 tablespoons cake
flour
1/3 cup Plus 1 tablespoon
unsweetened cocoa powder
One fourth teaspoon Baking soda
5 lg Eggs
1 lg Egg yolk
Three fourths cup Plus 2 tablespoons sugar
One fourth teaspoon Salt
1 One half teaspoon Vanilla extract
4 tablespoon (One half stick) unsalted butter,
melted, cooled

GANACHE
36 ounce Bittersweet (not
unsweetened) or semisweet
chocolate, finely chopped
2 One half cup Whipping cream
One fourth cup Light corn syrup
1 One half teaspoon Peppermint extract
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Chocolate curls (about 6
ounces)

For syrup: Stir water and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until sugar
dissolves. Increase heat; boil. Remove from heat. Stir in creme de cacao
and vanilla. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover; chill.)

For genoise: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 9inchdiameter
springform pan with 2 3/4inchhigh sides; line bottom with parchment
paper. Cover cake rack with paper towel; spray paper towel with nonstick
spray.

Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into small bowl 3 times. Combine
eggs, egg yolk, sugar and salt in large stainless steel bowl. {Step One}
Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch
water). Whisk until mixture is just warm to touch (thermometer will
register 110øF), about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from over water. {Step
Two} Using electric mixer, beat until mixture triples in volume and falls
in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Sift flour mixture over in 3 additions; fold gently to incorporate each
time. Drizzle butter over and fold in (do not overmix or batter will
deflate). Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40
minutes. Cut around pan sides; release sides. Turn cake out onto
towelcovered rack; peel off parchment. Cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead.
Wrap; store at room temperature.)

For ganache: Place chocolate in large bowl. Bring cream to boil in small
saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. {Step Three} Add corn syrup and
extracts; whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, stirring
occasionally.

Transfer 3 cups ganache to medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until
very thick and light colored, about 12 minutes.

Using long serrated knife, cut genoise horizontally into 3 layers. Place 1
cake layer on cardboard round or pan bottom. Brush cake with 3 tablespoons
syrup. Spread 1/3 of whipped ganache over. Repeat 2 more times with
remaining cake layers, syrup and whipped ganache. Spread 1 cup unwhipped
ganache thinly over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake until coating
sets, about 10 minutes.

If necessary, warm remaining unwhipped ganache until just pourable. Place
cake on rack set over sheet of foil. Pour ganache over cake as glaze,
spreading to cover top and sides smoothly. Chill until glaze begins to set,
about 30 minutes. Place cake on platter. Press chocolate curls onto sides.
Chill at least 2 hours.

Makes 1012 servings.

Bon Appetit March 1998
Posted to MMRecipes Digest by Julie Bertholf jewel1@ix.netcom.com on
Apr 12, 1998