MOCHA CAKE WITH MALTED SEMIFREDDO

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MOCHA CAKE WITH MALTED SEMIFREDDO

 

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 10 hr (includes

freezing)

 

For cake

4 teaspoons instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee

granules

3 tablespoons hot water

8 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not

unsweetened), chopped

6 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

 

For semifreddo

3 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup chilled heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup malted milk powder

 

Garnish: unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and

chocolate curls

Special equipment: an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2-inch metal loaf

pan

 

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 15- by 10- by 1-inch

baking pan and line bottom lengthwise with a large

piece of wax paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on each

end.

 

Stir together espresso powder and hot water in a heavy

saucepan until coffee is dissolved. Add chocolate and

melt over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Remove

from heat and cool to room temperature.

 

Beat together yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon

salt in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer at

moderately high speed until thick and pale, 5 to 7

minutes. Beat in melted chocolate.

 

Beat whites with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in

another large bowl with cleaned beaters until they

just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup

sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.

Stir one third of whites into chocolate mixture to

lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but

thoroughly.

 

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle

of oven until puffed and top is dry to the touch and

springs back when gently pressed, 12 to 14 minutes.

Cover cake with 2 layers of dampened paper towels and

let stand in pan on a rack 3 minutes, then remove

towels and cool completely. Loosen edges with a sharp

knife.

 

Sift cocoa powder evenly over top of cake and overlap

2 layers of wax paper lengthwise over cake. Invert a

baking sheet over cake, then invert cake onto it,

gently peeling off wax paper now on top.

 

Lightly oil loaf pan and line with 2 (24-inch-long)

crisscrossed sheets of plastic wrap, letting excess

hang over all sides. Using outside of loaf pan as a

stencil, cut a rectangle from cake to line bottom of

pan. Cut another rectangle for top of cake. Cut 2

pieces of cake to line long sides of pan, then 2 more

for short sides. Fit all cake pieces (except top

piece) into pan, cocoa sides against pan, pressing

gently to help adhere. Wrap top piece of cake in

plastic wrap and cover cake in pan with plastic-wrap

overhang, then freeze cake while making semifreddo.

 

Make semifreddo:

Beat together eggs and brown sugar in a metal bowl set

over a saucepan of simmering water with electric mixer

at medium speed until mixture registers 160°F on an

instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl

from heat and chill mixture until cool, about 10

minutes.

 

Mix together cream, vanilla, and malted milk powder in

a separate bowl at low speed with electric mixer until

powder is dissolved, then increase speed to moderately

high and beat until it just holds soft peaks. Stir one

third of cream into egg mixture to lighten, then fold

in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

 

Assemble cake:

Spoon semifreddo into cake-lined pan, spreading evenly

and smoothing top, and cover with top piece of cake.

Freeze, covered with plastic-wrap overhang, until

firm, at least 8 hours.

 

Before serving, let cake stand at room temperature 5

minutes. Unwrap plastic and invert cake onto a long

platter, using plastic wrap to help pull cake from

pan. Sift cocoa evenly over top to garnish, then top

with chocolate curls and cut into 1/2-inch-thick

slices. Serve immediately.

 

Cooks' note:

• Assembled cake can be frozen in pan up to 2 days.

 

Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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