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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() This dessert of Hungarian origin takes its name from famous violinist Rigo Jancsi who seduced his Belgian wife with this dessert. Makes 8-10 servings Ingredients: For the chocolate sponge cake: Unsalted butter, softened for the cake pan 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for the cake pan 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 6 large eggs 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar For the cherry syrup: 1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 1 cup Amerene cherries, with their liquid (see Note) For the filling: 1/2 pound very good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin 2 tablespoons cold water 7 large egg yolks, at room temperature 1/3 cup superfine sugar 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder Directions: Make the sponge cake. Place the rack in the center position of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 10-inch by 3-inch high round cake pan or springform pan. Sprinkle the sides and bottom with flour, making sure to coat the entire surface, and tap out the excess. To make the cake easier to remove, cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan, insert it into the bottom of the buttered cake pan (you don't need to flour the pan if you are using parchment) and butter and flour that too. In a small bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour, the cocoa, baking powder and baking soda. In a medium-size bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water, beat the eggs and granulated sugar together until the mixture has warmed and most of the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the mixture at high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat. With a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, scraping the egg mixture from the bottom of the bowl over the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake's surface springs back when lightly pressed, about 25 minutes. Let stand on a wire rack until completely cool, 1 to 2 hours, before removing from the pan Meanwhile, make the cherry syrup. In a small saucepan, stir the Marsala and confectioners' sugar together over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the cherries and their liquid, and set aside. Make the filling. In a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring often to melt it evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the bowl of chocolate over the water to keep it warm. Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water in a small bowl. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. In the top of a double boiler or a medium-size, heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, superfine sugar, and the Marsala until smooth. Place over barely simmering water and continue beating (switching to a handheld electric mixer at a medium speed, if you like) until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy and falls back on itself in thick ribbons when the whisk or beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes if you are whisking by hand, or about 4 minutes if using an electric mixer. It is important to whisk continuously or the egg yolks will cook and the mixture will appear curdled. Scrape the softened gelatin into the egg yolk mixture and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate mixture. Let the mixture stand until cool, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium-size bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate-egg mixture until no traces of white are visible. Assemble the cake. With a long, thin serrated knife, slice the chocolate sponge cake horizontally into three even layers. Set the bottom layer into a 10-inch springform pan and brush it with about 1/3 of the cherry syrup--it should be quite moist. Scatter half the cherries over the cake layer. Spoon half the chocolate zabaglione filling over the cherries. Moisten one side of the center layer with cherry syrup and place it, moistened side up, over the filling. Scatter the remaining cherries over the center layer and spoon the remaining chocolate zabaglione filling over the cherries. Moisten the cut side of the top cake layer with the remaining syrup and place it, cut side down, over the filling. Press very gently to even out layers. Cover the pan securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is firm, at least 6 hours or up to one day. To serve, release the side of the springform pan and remove it. Sift the cocoa over the cake. Cut the cake into wedges with a thin, serrated knife and serve. Note: Amarene are wild cherries preserved in syrup. Fabbri is a very good brand. From Lidia's Italian Table (William Morrow, 1998) ![]() home | about lidia | tv show | books | restaurants | food products | shopping travel | recipes | what's new | where's lidia | special events | contact us copyright © 2000 Felidia Inc. designed by winters ripp design |
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