Black and White Chocolate Cake

(Source: Dorie Greenspan Baking: From My Home to Yours)
Makes 10 servings

For the Cake
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 sticks (10 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Dark Chocolate Cream
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2-1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces, at room temperature
For the White Chocolate Whipped Cream
6 ounces premium-quality white chocolate (such as Valrhona Ivoire or
Guittard), finely chopped
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
Chocolate shavings or curls, dark or white or a combination, for
decoration
(optional)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350
degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with
flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment
or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a
paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter
on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another
3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1
minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; dont be concerned if the
mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry
alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions
and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down
the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients
disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans
and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes,
rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be
golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers
will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5
minutes, then unmold, remove the paper and invert to cool to room
temperature right side up on the rack.

To Make the Dark Chocolate Cream: Bring the milk to a boil. Meanwhile, in
a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar,
cornstarch and salt until thick and well blended. Whisking without
stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk - this will temper, or
warm, the yolks so they wont curdle - then, still whisking, add the
remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat
and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into
the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still
whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the
melted chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the pieces of
butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the chocolate cream
is smooth and silky. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of
the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the cream until
chilled, or for up to 3 days. Or, if you want to cool the cream quickly,
put the bowl with the cream into a large bowl filled with ice cubes and
cold water and stir the cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled,
about 20 minutes.

To Make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream: Put the white chocolate in a
heatproof bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
Stir frequently to melt the chocolate evenly. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of
the heavy cream to a boil. When the white chocolate is melted, remove the
bowl from the pan. Pour the hot cream into the melted chocolate and let it
sit for a minute. Using a small spatula, stir the chocolate gently until
it is smooth. Let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature
- it cant be the least bit warm when you add it to the whipped cream.
Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand
mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream only until it
holds the softest peaks. Turn the machine to high, add the cooled white
chocolate all at once and continue to beat until the whipped cream holds
firm peaks. Turn the whipped cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic
wrap gently against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate
for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours.

To Assemble the Cake: If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a
long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Slice each
layer horizontally in half. Place one layer cut side down on a cardboard
cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment
paper. Remove the dark and white chocolate creams from the refrigerator
and whisk each of them vigorously to loosen and smooth them. With a long
metal icing spatula, spread enough dark chocolate cream (about 1 cup) over
the cake layer to cover it completely. Top the cream with another cake
layer, cut side up, and cover this layer with white chocolate whipped
cream, making the white layer about the same thickness as the dark layer.
Cover with a third layer, cut side up, and cover with another cup or so of
the dark chocolate cream. (Youll have some dark chocolate cream left over
- use it as a dip for madeleines or sables.) Top with the final layer of
cake, cut side down, and frost the sides and top with the remaining white
chocolate whipped cream. If youd like to decorate the top with chocolate
shavings or curls, do it now. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or
overnight.

Serving : Remove the cake from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving.
Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut it. Though the cake
is particularly good with coffee or tea, it also goes well with a sweet or
sparkling dessert wine.

Storing : While both the dark chocolate cream and white chocolate cream
can be made ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator, once
assembled, the cake is best after about 3 hours in the fridge. However, it
can be refrigerated overnight - just cover it loosely and keep it away
from foods with strong odors. http://www.notquitejunec.eaver.com


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