Dome Chocolat avec Beis

Submitted by Ellen Elinchev
Adapted from Michel Richard, Cooking with Master Chefs

Equipment: a 4-cup stainless steel bowl about 8 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep. Also a pastry brush, large rubber spatula, whisk and serrated knife.

Cake Ingredients

• 1 T of soft unsalted butter and several tablespoons of flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. plain bleached cake flour, sifted
• 1/4 c. dutch processed cocoa powder*
• 11 to 12 oz. top-quality bittersweet chocolate (Callebaut, Lindt Swiss Excellence) for mousse filling and coating
• 1 c. chilled heavy cream
• 1 c. orange juice, sweetened to taste *
• 2T Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)
• 1 pt. red raspberries

For Decoration:

• 1 pt. of red raspberries
• Fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup or more sugar
• 1 T cocoa powder with fine meshed sieve
• Extra bittersweet chocolate and 6 to 8 fresh green leaves, such as lemon, orange, bay or rose leaves
• Mint leaves

METHOD
Prepare the cake: using a pastry brush, butter the bowl generously and sprinkle in several tablespoons of flour, rotating the bowl in all directions to coat the entire surface. Then turn upside down and knock out the excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick stuck through the center of the cake comes out clean. Turn the cake out on a metal rack to cool completely - about one hour - before proceeding.*
* You can also bake the cake several days in advance. Wrap airtight in plastic wrap, return to bowl, and refrigerate.

Melt the Chocolate: Bring two inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan, set a bowl over it, add 5 ounces of chocolate and remove pan from heat. When completely melted and smooth, remove the bowl from over the water and let cool to room temperature.

Whip the heavy cream: Whip the cream to soft peaks with a whisk in a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice cubes and water.

Combining cream and chocolate: Fold half of the cream into the cooled but liquid chocolate. When incorporated, fold in the rest to complete the mousse.

Assembling the cake: Sweeten orange juice with a little sugar if desired and add two tablespoons of Grand Marnier or any orange liqueur. With a serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally into three layers of equal thickness. Shave off and discard the crusty top of the cake. Line the same 8-inch bowl with a piece of plastic wrap. Fit the rounded top piece of the cake into the lined bowl. Using a pastry brush, soak the cake with about 4 tablespoons of orange juice mixture. Spoon 1/3 chocolate mousse onto the soaked cake layer, and strew on a small handful of raspberries.

Place the next layer of cake onto the first, brush with a few tablespoonfuls of the orange juice mixture, spoon on the rest of the mousse, a handful of raspberries and cover with the remaining slice of cake. Brush on the last of the juice, and bring the hanging edges of the plastic rap over the top. Cover with another sheet of plastic, and refrigerate for several hours before decorating.*
*Cake may be assembled to this point a day in advance.

Making the chocolate dome or coating: Melt 6 to 7 ounces chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water, as before for the mousse. Remove the plastic covering from the cake bowl and fold back the plastic that is covering the cake. Un-mold the thoroughly chilled cake, domed side up, onto a rack, then peel off and discard the rest of the plastic covering. Lightly dampen your work surface so that a sheet of plastic wrap will adhere, and lay out a 12-inch sheet. Using a rubber spatula, spread a thin 10 to 11 inch disk of cool liquid chocolate in the center of the sheet. Rapidly slide the plastic into the bowl, letting the plastic with its chocolate disk cover the bottom and side of the bowl. Gently drop the chilled cake, domed side down, into the bowl, fold the plastic wrap over it, and refrigerate.

Raspberry Sauce: Puree 1 1/2 cups raspberries with 1/2 cup sugar in a blender or processor. Add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or to taste. Push the sauce through a fine sieve. Makes 1 to 2 cups.*
* I added a bit of Kirsch to the raspberries and less lemon juice.

Making the Chocolate Leaves: Dip the inside of each leaf into the remaining melted chocolate and place on a plate, coated side up. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.

Decorating the Cake: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and again fold back the plastic wrap. Turn the cake dome side up onto a serving plattera dn lift off the plastic to reveal a beautifully smooth, shiny chocolate surface. Sprinkle with a dusting of cocoa sauce over them. Remove the chcolate leaves from the refrigerator. Gently separate the green leaves from the chocolate ones, then one by one dip the step of each into melted chocolate and gently affix it near the center of the cake. Decorate with a few strategically placed raspberries.*
*Instead of making chocolate leaves, I opted to add mint leaves to the top, along with strategically placed red raspberries and blackberries.

Ahead-of-time Note: May be finished and refrigerated several hours in advance of serving. Let set at room temperature for an hour before serving so that chocolate loses its rigidity.

Serving the Chocolate Dome: Provide a tall pitcher of hot water, a long sharp knife and napkin. Dip the knife in the hot water adn wipe it off with the napkin before every cut. Surround each serving with a handful of raspberries covered with a spoonful of raspberry sauce.

8 servings