Hungarian Chocolate Mousse Cake Bars Recipe Epicuriouscom

HUNGARIAN CHOCOLATE-WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Have all ingredients at room temperature.
• Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or wax paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a heavy-bottomed 2-or 3-quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat. Continue boiling and stirring until all the grains of sugar have completely dissolved and the mixture forms a simple syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until light and thickened, about 4 minutes. Grind the walnuts with the remaining sugar and the matzoh meal in a food processor using the pulse motion and stir into the egg yolks. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and combine thoroughly.
• Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites in another bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually fold the whites into the chocolate-walnut mixture, incorporating them gently but thoroughly so that no whites are visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffed and almost set but still a little gooey in the center. A wooden toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge should come out clean.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack. When completely cool, unmold the cake by running a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan (or release the springform); invert onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Serve the torte at room temperature.
• If desired, lightly dust with Passover confectioners' sugar. For a lovely, simple presentation, place a doily or a stencil-handmade by you or, even better, your children-over the torte, then sprinkle with the sugar. Carefully remove the doily or stencil.
• Or glaze with the chocolate icing. Lay long strips of wax paper or foil on a cake plate or serving platter and place the cake on top. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Using a spatula, evenly spread the glaze over the top and sides. Now, pull out and discard the paper strips or foil strips--the plate will be clean and ready for serving. If you'd like, garnish with a few walnut halves attractively placed in the center of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to set the glaze, but bring it to room temperature before serving.
• The plain or frosted torte is heavenly with generous dollops of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Passover Confectioners’ Sugar:
• In a blender, mini-food processor, or clean coffee grinder, whirl 1 cup minus 1/2 tablespoon regular granulated sugar until it is powdery. Place in a small bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon potato starch. Sift before using. (Recently commercial Passover confectioners' sugar, made without cornstarch, has appeared in some stores with large kosher-for-Passover sections. If available, by all means use it here.)
• Chocolate Icing:
• Melt the butter or margarine slowly in a heavy saucepan over very low heat. When half is melted, gradually whisk in the chocolate, stirring well as it melts. After all the chocolate has been added, stir in 2 tablespoons water and beat well until the glaze is completely smooth. Let the mixture cool about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

HUNGARIAN CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE BARS

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 2 (15- by 10- by 1-inch) baking pans. Line bottom and sides of each pan with a large sheet of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a small metal bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Beat together butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy and beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate. Sift in flour, cocoa, and salt and beat on low speed until combined well.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar in another bowl with clean beaters until they hold soft peaks, then add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into batter to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter between pans (about 2 1/4 cups per pan) and carefully spread evenly. (Layers will be thin.) Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until cake is set and firm to touch, 14 to 18 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes before inverting racks over pans and flipping layers onto them. Remove wax paper carefully and discard. Spread jam evenly over 1 warm layer and cool layers completely. Transfer jam-coated layer to a baking sheet or tray lined with a sheet of parchment or wax paper.
• Make chocolate glaze:
• Bring cream just to a boil and slowly pour over chocolate in a bowl. Stir until smooth and pour over plain cake layer, spreading to coat top evenly. Let stand in a cool place until set, about 1 hour.
• Make chocolate mousse filling:
• Bring cream just to a boil and slowly pour over chocolate in a large metal bowl. Stir until smooth and set bowl in an ice bath. Stir occasionally until cold. Remove from ice bath and beat with an electric mixer until mousse just holds soft peaks. (If mousse becomes grainy, melt over a saucepan of barely simmering water and repeat chilling and whipping.) Quickly spread evenly over jam layer (mousse will stiffen as it stands) and chill while making whipped-cream filling.
• Make whipped-cream filling:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small metal bowl and let soften 1 minute. Put bowl over a small saucepan of boiling water and heat, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved. Remove pan from heat but keep bowl on pan.
• Beat cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until it holds a soft shape and beat in warm gelatin mixture. Continue beating until cream just holds stiff peaks, then spread evenly over top of mousse-coated layer.
• Assemble cake:
• Cut glazed layer lengthwise into thirds and crosswise into tenths and reassemble bars on top of cream filling. Chill cake, uncovered, until glaze is firm, about 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, cut cake with a large knife, wiping it off with a hot damp cloth between cuts.