Mocha Layer Cake with Chocolate Rum Cream Filling

By ezunich

Ingredients

• Filling and Topping
• 4 cups whipping cream
• l/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 20 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped; plus 2 ounces, chopped separately
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs dark rum
• Cake
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp instant coffee pm-dcr
• 2/3 cup cake flour
• 3 tbs cocoa powder
• 1/2 baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Filling and Topping:
Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves and cream comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add 20 oz chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Transfer 1 cup warm chocolate mixture to small bowl; whisk remaining 2 oz chocolate into mixture in bowl and set aside for topping. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Transfer remaining chocolate mixture to large bowl to use as filling. Chill until cold and thick at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Syrup:
Stir water and sugar in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; mix in rum. Cover and let stand up to 1 day.

Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Line bottom with waxed paper; butter. paper. Combine vanilla and coffee powder in cup; swirl to dissolve coffee. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until very thick and light in color, about 3 minutes Beat in vanilla-coffee mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff Fold 1/3 of whites into yolk mixture. Fold in half of flour mixture. Fold in half of the remaining whites, then remaining flour mixture, then remaining whites. Transfer batter to prepared pan; gently spread to even thickness.

Bake cake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool in pan on rack (cake may shrink slightly).

Cut around pan to loosen cake. Turn out onto work surface; peel off paper. Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 half, cut side up, on platter. Drizzle half of syrup (about 3 1/2 tablespoons) over. Using electric mixer, beat cold chocolate filling until thick and lighter in color, less than 1 minute. Spread all of filling evenly over cake layer, aligning with sides of cake (filling will be about 1 inch thick). Drizzle remaining syrup over cut side of second cake layer. Place layer, syrup side down, atop filling; press to adhere. Rewarm topping over low heat just until pourable. Pour topping onto top center of cake. Using small spatula, spread topping to edges, being careful to keep it from spilling over. Chill cake up to 1 day, covering loosely with foil or with cake dome after 2 hours.

Cut cake into 16 squares and serve.