CHOCOLATE GÉNOISE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY FILLING AND CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Ingredients needed:
Chocolate Génoise cake:
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
Pinch of baking soda
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Chocolate ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
To assemble:
2 cups homemade or prepared raspberry filling
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Garnish: Raspberries, mint sprigs, powdered sugar
Génoise: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan.
Into a small bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and baking soda. In a large metal bowl set over barely simmering water, whisk eggs and sugar with a handheld electric beater until thick, foamy and doubled in volume. Mixture should form a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Make sure that mixture does not get too hot and curdle eggs. Remove from heat and gently fold in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in melted butter and pour into cake pan. Bake 20 minutes until cake is springy to touch. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a cake rack, turn out and cool completely.
Ganache: In a small saucepan bring cream to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened, but still pourable.
Assembly: Halve cake crosswise. On a cake rack set over a baking sheet, cover bottom cake layer with raspberry filling and replace top layer. Over center of cake pour ganache and smooth over top and sides with a palette knife until evenly coated. Let icing set, about 1 hour. To decorate, pipe whipped cream as desired, arrange raspberries and mint and dust with powdered sugar.
Yield: 10 servings