Recipes
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Prinzregententorte

Ingredients

Sponge

Chocolate Custard Filling

Chocolate Ganache

Directions

Sponge

Heat the oven to 375° F and evenly space three shelves in the oven. Using the base of a 10-inch round cake tin or dinner plate as a guide, draw a 10-inch-diameter circle on three sheets of parchment paper. Turn the sheets of baking paper over so the pencil or pen is underneath and use them to line the three baking sheets.

Whisk the egg whites and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk until firm but not dry, then gradually whisk in half (102 grams) of the sugar and the vanilla until you have a firm meringue. Spoon the meringue into a clean bowl and set aside.

In the same mixer bowl (no need to wash it), whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick, pale and mousse-like, and the mixture leaves a ribbon trail when you lift the whisk.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, using a large metal spoon. Sift the flour and baking soda over the egg mixture and fold them in, being careful not to knock the air out of the mixture. Finally, pour the melted butter down the inside of the bowl and fold it in.

Divide the mixture into eight portions and spoon one portion onto one of the lined baking sheets in the center of the circle. Using a palette knife, spread the mixture thinly and neatly up to the edge of the circle. Repeat with two more quantities to make three circles of cake mixture.

Bake for 6–8 minutes, until the sponge is golden and springy to the touch. Remove the sponges from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool. After a few minutes, peel off the parchment paper and reuse for the next batch of sponges. Continue baking in batches until you have eight sponges.

Chocolate Custard Filling

Pour 500 milliliters of the milk into a pan and bring it to just below boiling point. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, corn starch, cocoa powder, and remaining 100 milliliters of milk together.

Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture, whisking continuously, then pour the mixture back into the pan and whisk it over a gentle heat until the mixture thickens, about 3–5 minutes. Pour the custard into a shallow dish, cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, and leave to cool.

Once cool, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then remove the chocolate from the heat and leave it to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar together until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in the cooled custard until thoroughly combined, then add the cooled melted chocolate and whisk until combined.

To assemble, place one of the cooled sponges in the base of the lined cake tin. Spoon about one eighth of the chocolate cream filling into a bowl and set aside. Spoon about one seventh of the remaining filling over the top of the sponge in the tin and spread it out evenly. Place the next sponge on top and repeat, layering with the sponges and chocolate filling until you have eight sponges and seven layers of chocolate filling. Do not spread any chocolate filling on the top sponge. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.

Remove the cake from the fridge and turn it out of the tin onto a flat plate or board. With a palette knife, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream around the top and sides of the cake to crumb coat, then chill the cake for 20 minutes, until the chocolate cream is firm.

Chocolate Ganache

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Warm the cream in a pan to just below boiling point, then pour it over the chocolate. Leave it to stand for 3 minutes, then stir the chocolate into the cream to form a smooth ganache. Stir in the butter and leave the ganache to cool to a coating consistency, about 90° F.

Remove the cake from the fridge and place it on a wire rack. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, evenly covering the top and side, then leave the ganache to set for 10–15 minutes before slicing.