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1
In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, butter and corn syrup to a boil over moderate heat.
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2
Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, stir once and let stand for 5 minutes.
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3
Whisk until smooth and strain into a bowl.
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4
Refrigerate until thickened, about 2 hours.
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5
Preheat the oven to 350 and position a rack in the middle.
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6
Butter a 10 1/2 -by-15 1/2 -inch jelly-roll pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
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7
Butter the paper.
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8
In a small bowl set over a saucepan of hot but not simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
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9
Let cool.
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10
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter with half of the sugar.
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11
Beat in the chocolate then beat in the egg yolks 1 at a time.
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12
Combine the almonds and bread crumbs and stir them into the batter.
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13
In another large bowl, whip the egg whites until they hold very soft peaks.
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14
Gradually beat in the remaining sugar until the whites hold firm peaks.
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15
Stir one-quarter of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula.
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16
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
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17
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cake is firm and no longer sticky when touched lightly in the center.
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18
Let the cake cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then loosen the sides with the tip of a knife.
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19
Invert the cake onto a rack and peel off the paper.
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20
Cover the cake with another rack and turn it right side up.
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21
Let cool to room temperature.
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22
To assemble the 2 cakes, halve the layer crosswise.
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23
Cut each half crosswise into thirds, each about 31/2 by 7 3/4 inches.
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24
Cut 2 pieces of stiff cardboard about 1/4 inch larger than the layers.
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25
Place 1 cake rectangle on each cardboard.
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26
Gently whisk the ganache to a spreading consistency.
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27
Using a long metal spatula, spread each of the 2 rectangles of cake with about 3 tablespoons of ganache.
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28
Cover with 2 more layers of cake and ganache.
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29
Generously frost the sides of the 2 cakes with ganache.
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30
To finish, spoon the remaining ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 -inch plain tip and pipe thick diagonal strips on top of the cakes .
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31
Refrigerate the cakes to set, about 2 hours.
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32
Just before serving, dust the tops of the cakes with cocoa powder.
