Savorykitchen's Notes:
Expand4 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
2 egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient
3.5 ounces sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
.85 ounces honey Ask a question about this ingredient
pinches salt Ask a question about this ingredient
3.6 ounces pastry flour Ask a question about this ingredient
.8 ounces cocoa Ask a question about this ingredient
1.25 cups sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 ounces cocoa Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
3 tablespoons flour Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups cream Ask a question about this ingredient
2 egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient
2 ounces butter Ask a question about this ingredient
6.5 ounces sugar, divided Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons cornstarch Ask a question about this ingredient
2 ounces pecans, toasted and finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
4 egg whites Ask a question about this ingredient
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar Ask a question about this ingredient
pinches salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon vanilla Ask a question about this ingredient
1.5 cups heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
2 ounces powdered sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
pinches salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon vanilla Ask a question about this ingredient
finely chopped pecans, as garnish Ask a question about this ingredient
grated chocolate, as garnish Ask a question about this ingredient
Make the genoise (uses ingredients 1-7): Butter a 8”cake pans (with 2+” sides) and line it with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer. Put the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, honey and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whip with a whisk until hot (about 115 degrees), foamy and thickened. Place the mixer bowl onto the stand mixer and whip for about 10 minutes until the mixture is cool and very thick. Sift the flour and cocoa together well – there should be no lumps. Fold the flour/cocoa mixture together with the egg foam. I do this by transferring the foam to a large bowl and then folding in the flour mixture. This makes it easier to fold gently and it gives you room to work, especially if the foam has filled up your mixer bowl. Gently pour/scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surface of the cake is dry to the touch and the edges of the cake are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes on a rack. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and then unmold to finish cooling. Tightly wrapped, cake will freeze well for about a month. Defrost in its wrapping before using it.
Ask a question about this stepMake the pudding (uses ingredients 8-15): In a large saucepan, whisk the sugar, cocoa, salt and flour together. Whisk in the cream until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the yolks until smooth. Heat saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil (bubbles just breaking the surface). The sauce will be thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Set in refrigerator to chill and thicken.
Ask a question about this stepMake the meringues (uses ingredients 16-22): Preheat the oven to 275. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and trace two 7” circles on the paper. Mix 2.5 oz of sugar, the pecans and cornstarch together. Set aside. In a stand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until they start to turn frothy, then increase the speed to medium-high. Add the pinch of salt, and slowly add in the remaining 4 oz of sugar and finally, the vanilla. Beat whites to stiff peaks. Using a spatula or your hand, fold the nut mixture into the whites. Use a piping big or spoon to fill the traced circles with meringue. Make sure the circles are level. You will have extra meringue. Use a spoon or piping bag to make little meringue cookies to use to decorate the finished cake (or to just snack on!). Bake at 275 for 20 minutes and check the meringues. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 250. Bake until dried through and crunchy – about 90 minutes total.
Ask a question about this stepMake the whipped cream (uses ingredients 23-26): Beat heavy cream, sugar, salt and vanilla together until cream forms firm peaks.
Ask a question about this stepAssembling the cake: Slice the cake horizontally into three layers (remembering to take the parchment off the bottom of the cake) and lay a slice of cake on a serving plate, top with 1/3 of the pudding, 1 meringue disk and 1/3 of the whipped cream. Continue layering: cake, pudding, meringue, cream, cake. Top the cake with pudding, billows of cream and little meringue cookies. Sprinkle chopped nuts and grated chocolate over the top of the cake.
Ask a question about this stepHm, this says I am Mrs. Wheelbarrow (an honor, I'll say!) but this is savorykitchen. Thank you Mrs. Larkin - for festive occasions only, I'd say. :-)
wow! now THAT's what I call a party!