Chocolate Pudding Cake With Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce –

PUDDING
4 c (1 qt) heavy cream 3/4 c Sugar
10 Large egg yolks 1 1/2 c Semisweet chocolate chips

-SAUCE-
1 c (1/2 pt) heavy cream -orange-flavored liqueur
1 1/2 c (about 8 oz) chopped White chocolate curls
-bittersweet chocolate Candied Orange Rind (opt.
2 tb Grand Marnier or other -recipe follows)

1. Day before serving, prepare and as- semble Chocolate Cake and
Pudding, To prepare Chocolate Cake, grease a 10-inch springform pan;
sprinkle inside greased pan with 2 T sugar. In medium-size bowl, sift
together flour, cocoa, and baking powder; set aside.

2. Heat oven to 350’F. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat eggs
and remaining 1/4 C sugar until double in volume-5 minutes. To
prepare cake batter, gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture just
until combined. Pour batter into prepared springform pan and bake
cake 20 to 25 minutes or until center springs back when gently
pressed with fingertip.

3. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and
cool completely on wire rack.

4. To prepare Pudding, in 2-quart saucepan, heat cream to boiling. In
large bowl, with wire whisk, beat egg yolks and sugar until well
combined. Slowly beat hot cream into yolk mixture and pour all back
into saucepan. Cook cream mixture over low heat until pudding coats a
spoon. (Do not boil.) Remove pudding from heat and stir in chocolate
chips until mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.

5. To assemble Chocolate Pudding Cake, cut cake horizontally into 3
equal slices. Line inside of cleaned springforrn pan with aluminum
foil. Place top layer of cake in bottom of springform pan. Pour
one-third of pudding over cake layer in pan. Top with middle cake
layer and half of remaining pudding. Place bottom cake layer, bottom
side up, in pan and top with remaining pudding. Cover loosely with
plastic wrap; refrig- erate overnight.

6. Heat oven to 300’F. Place springform pan with cake into large
roasting pan and remove plastic wrap. Pour enough boiling water into
roasting pan to come half way up side of springform pan. Bake
Chocolate Pudding Cake 1 hour or until top of cake is glazed over.

7. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Cover loosely and
refrigerate until well chilled.

8. Just before serving, prepare Sauce: In 2-quart saucepan, heat
cream to boiling. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate and
Grand Mamier until smooth. Strain sauce and keep warm. If desired,
prepare chocolate curls and Candied Orange Rind.

9. To serve, remove side of springform pan and slice cake into wedges;
place each wedge onto dessert plate. Top cake wedges with chocolate
sauce, chocolate curls, and orange rind, if desired.

Candied Orange Rind: In small skillet, heat 1/2 cup 3-by 1/8-inch
strips orange rind, 1/2 C water, and 1/4 C sugar to boiling. Cook 5
minutes or until rind looks glazed. With slotted spoon, remove rind
to baking sheet to cool.