Recipe#8988

Title: Choc Oblivion Torte

Newsgroups: rec.food.recipes 
 From: arielle@taronga.com (Stephanie da Silva) 
 Subject: Chocolate Oblivion Torte 
 Message-ID: TAMU4I9@taronga.com 
 Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 04:16:27 GMT 

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake
 1 to 2 tablespoons tepid raspberry jelly or seedless jam
 Chocolate Bands
 1 cup heavy cream
 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 Cordon Rose Raspberry Sauce
 Make the Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake and let cool.  Brush the jelly
 lightly around the sides of the cake.
 Encircle the sides of the cake with one of the chocolate bands, wavy side
 up; the jelly will help the chocolate band adhere.  Peel off the waxed
 peper.  Attach the second chocolate band, overlapping if necessary, to
 completely encircle the cake.
 Whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla just until stiff.  Top
 the chocolate mousse cake with about half of the whipped cream.  With the 
 back of a large spoon, make a shallow depression to form a pool.  Fill
 with about 3/4 cup of the raspberry sauce.  Serve the remaining sauce
 and whipped cream on the side.
 Ultimate Chocolate Mousse Cake
 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
 6 eggs, lightly beaten
 Preheat the oven to 425F.  Wrap the outside of an 8 inch springform pan
 in a double layer of aluminum foil to prevent seepage.  Butter the pan
 and line the bottom with a round of parchment or waxed paper.  Butter the
 paper.
 Combine the chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl over a pan of 
 hot -- not simmering -- water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch
 the water).  Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is
 smooth and melted.  
 Put the eggs in a large mixer bowls set over simmering water and stir 
 constantly until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes; remove from the heat.  
 With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they triple in volume and form 
 soft peaks when the beater is lifted, 5 to 8 minutes.  (To ensure maximum 
 volume, if using a hand-held mixer, continue to beat the eggs over simmering 
 water until they are hot to the touch, about 5 minutes, then remove from the 
 heat and beat until cool.)
 Fold half the eggs into the melted chocolate until partially incorporated.
 Add the remaining eggs and fold until they are just blended and no streaks 
 remain.
 Pour at once into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with
 a spatula.  Place in a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to the
 pan to reach about two-thirds of the way up the springform.
 Bake for 5 minutes.  Cover the top of the springform loosely with lightly
 buttered aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes longer.  Remove the cake
 from the oven and let cool on a rack for 45 minutes; then cover and
 refrigerate until chilled and very firm, about 3 hours.
 To unmold, run a small spatula or blunt knife around the edge and remove
 the side of the springform.  Carefully insert the cake onto a plate that
 has been covered with plastic wrap and remove the bottom of the springform;
 peel off the parchment.  Reinvert the cake onto a cardboard round or cake
 plate.  Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, until thoroughly
 chilled.
 Chocolate Bands
 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
 Cut waxed paper into two strips 13 by 2 inches.
 Melt the chocolate and pour one-fourth of it in a strip down the middle of 
 each piece of waxed paper.
 With a spatula, spread the chocolate evenly to completely cover the waxed
 paper strips.  Let set and then repeat with the remaining chocolate to make
 a second layer.
 Let set until firm but still malleable.
 Using a small, sharp knife, cut out a free form scalloped ripple along one 
 long side of each chocolate strip.
 Keep the waxed paper in place until after the bands have been wrapped around
 the cake.
 Cordon Rose Raspberry Sauce
 2 packages (23 ounces each) individually quick-frozen raspberries, thawed
 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
 Drain the raspberris, reserving the juice.  In a small saucepan, warm the
 juice over low heat.  Add 1/3 cup of the sugar and the lemon juice and stir
 until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
 Puree the raspberries in a blender.  Press through a sieve to remove the
 seeds.
 Stir the raspberry syrup into the puree.  Sweeten with the remaining sugar 
 to taste.  Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.