Diplomatico Cake Recipe By : Marcella Hazan Recipe

Ingredients

RUM AND ESPRESSO SOAK
1 1/4 cups strong espresso
5 tablespoons rum
5 teaspoons sugar
1 16 ounce pound cake, cut into 1/4" slices
CHOCOLATE FILLING
4 large eggs -- separated
1 teaspoon sugar
6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
FROSTING AND GARNISH
1 cup very cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
fresh berries or
walnut halves and candied fruit

Preparation

Step 1

Make the rum and espresso soak:
In a small bowl, combine the espresso, rum,
sugar, and 5 tablespoons of water.

Moisten a sheet of cheesecloth large enough
to line a 9x5x3 inch glass loaf pan with
plenty of overhang. Line the pan with the
cheesecloth. Dip the pound cake, slice by
slice, in the rum and espresso soak, then
use the slices to line the bottom and sides
of the pan. (Dip the cake slices very
quickly or they will become too soggy to
handle, let any excess liquid drain from the
slices before lining the pan.) Leave no
gaps, patching where necessary with pieces
of soaked pound cake.

Make the chocolate filling:
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the
sugar until they turn pale yellow, about 4
minutes.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over
gently simmering water. Gradually pour the
melted chocolate over the beaten egg yolks,
mixing quickly with a rubber spatula until
smoothly combined.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until
the form stiff peaks. Stir a rounded
tablespoon of the beaten whites into the
chocolate mixture to loosen it, then gently
fold in the remaining whites.

Spoon the chocolate filling into the cake-
lined pan. Cover the filling with more
slices of soaked pound cake (you may have
some cake left over). Fold the moistened
cheesecloth over the top of the cake.
Refrigerate the diplomatico for at least one
day, and up to a week.

When you take the cake out of the fridge,
unfold the cheesecloth and pull it away from
the top of the cake. Invert the loaf pan
onto a platter and shake it firmly to free
the cake and peel off the cheesecloth.

Make the frosting and garnish the cake:
In a very well chilled bowl, using chilled
beaters, whip the heavy cream with the sugar
until stiff. Frost the top and sides of the
cake with the whipped cream. Garnish the
cake with fresh berries or walnuts and
candied fruit.

NOTES : If you do not have an espresso
machine, buy some ready made, strong coffee
cannot be replaced. Some pound cakes absorb
too much liquid and become too soggy to
handle and break apart. Always look for the
cheapest brands, made with little or no
butter, because they remain firmer and are
easier to work with.