-
1
["For the cake:
-
2
Set oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 8"" x 1 1/2"" round cake pans and line with parchment.
-
3
Whisk and aerate the flour, salt and baking powder together. Set aside.
-
4
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat into the butter/sugar mixture.
-
5
Gently mix in the flour until just incorporated. Spoon batter into the prepared pans, smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool.", "For the chocolate filling:
-
6
In a large saucepan heat 2 cups of milk, cocoa, sugar, salt, and espresso, whisking so that all ingredients are completely blended. Whisk cornstarch into remaining milk until smooth and thoroughly incorporated. Stir this into chocolate mixture. Cook on medium-medium high heat, whisking constantly until the pudding begins to boil and becomes noticeably thicker. Turn heat down to medium-low. Continue whisking until it's so thick that the whisk leaves trails in the pudding (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and chopped chocolate, stirring until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is very smooth. Pour into a bowl and place plastic wrap or a parchment circle over the top, laying it flat against the surface of the pudding so that a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate till cold", "For the whipped cream:
-
7
Place cream, salt and vanilla into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Start on low speed until the cream thickens enough not to spatter. Increase the speed to medium high and continue to whip, stopping the machine just before the cream holds soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the electric mixer and finish whipping the cream by hand with a whisk. Fold or gently whisk in sour cream and confectioner's sugar to taste.", "To make dessert:
-
8
Place one layer of sponge cake at the bottom of a decorative 8"" round pan. Sprinkle or brush 2-4 tablespoons of liqueur, rum, bourbon or coffee onto the cake to moisten it. Spoon chocolate filling over the cake and smooth it with an offset spatula, then top with whipped cream. Smooth the top layer of whipped cream with an offset spatula. (Try to get it smoother than I did. ) Decorate the top as you prefer. (I used a fleur de lis because my parents are die-hard New Orleans Saints fans. I also sprinkled unsweetened cocoa powder over the top because, as you can see, cake decorating is not my forte. Do what you like. ) You can also make this into a layer cake with the chocolate pudding as the filling and iced with whipped cream (or vice versa), and you can decorate it with berries, nuts, grated chocolate. The possibilities are endless."]
