Tiffany's Heart
This stunning, simple cake, decorated with
fresh strawberries and red rosebuds, is
for the incurable romantic. It's the freshest
box of candy you'll ever eat.
For a decorative short-cut to transform
an everyday simple cake into a Valentine
Special: Arrange store-bought chocolates,
still in their ruffled dark brown candy
papers, on top of any single layer frosted
cake.
Batter
3/4 cup (2 ounces) ground pecans
1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup each granulated and light brown
sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon rum, optional
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pint fresh raspberries, optional
Adjust rack in lower third of oven and
preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour
an 8-inch heart-shaped pan and line with
wax paper or parchment.
In a small bowl, mix nuts and flour.
Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan
over low heat. Blend in water until smooth.
Transfer warm chocolate mixture to a large
bowl, stir in the sugars. Cool five minutes,
blend in yolks, then rum, then stir in nut-flour
mixture.
Whip whites with one teaspoon sugar to
soft, white peaks; stir-fold into chocolate
mixture. Spoon batter into heart shape pan
and smooth evenly. Bake 25 minutes, or until
soft but not liquid in center. (Chocolate
firms as it cools.) Remove from oven; cool
15 minutes, then invert on rack. Peel off
paper.
Serves 14.
Chocolate Glaze
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Place everything in a bowl that fits snugly
over saucepan. Fill pan half full with 130
degree F water, set bowl on top. Stir occasionally
until mixture is smooth, shiny and liquid.
Place cool cake on cardboard on rack over
jelly roll pan. Pour glaze onto cake, spread
with long metal spatula. If desired, decorate
the edges of the cake with fresh raspberries.
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