Passover Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

This cake is moist, light, and absolutely delicious-hard to believe you can eat it for Passover!

 

 

For cake layers:

• 12 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• 6 tablespoons water
• 12 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant espresso
•  

Optional:

• raspberry jam
• mini chocolate chips

 

For filling:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted

 

 

Make cake layers:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease four 9-inch circular cake pans and line bottoms of circles with a piece of parchment paper
2. Melt chocolate with water and espresso in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring. Cool to lukewarm
3. Beat yolks, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a standing mixer or about 8 minutes with a hand-held mixer
4. Fold in melted chocolate until blended. Beat whites with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks (you will need an enormous bowl for 12 egg whites)
5. Gradually add remaining 2/3 cup sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into melted-chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly
6. Split batter evenly into 4 pans and bake until puffed and top is dry to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating cakes between racks to ensure they bake evenly
7. Transfer pans to cooling racks and if necessary, loosen edges with a knife
8. Sift cocoa powder over top of cake layers and place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the pans
9. Place a baking sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining
10. Place layers in the freezer for about an hour, until they are firm enough to be carefully lifted without breaking

 

Make filling:

1. Beat cream with powdered sugar with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks.

 

 

Assemble trifle:

1. Bring first cake layer out of the freezer and drop into trifle bowl, cocoa side down
2. Spread 1/4 of filling evenly over the cake
3. Bring the next cake layer out of the freezer, placing it gently over the filling, again cocoa side down
4. Spread 1/4 whipped cream on
5. Repeat this process until all layers and whipped cream are used
6. Top with mini chocolate chips

 

 

 

Note: *Spread raspberry jam on 1st and 3rd cake layer before whipped cream for extra surprise!

 

On 2nd and 4th layers, sprinkle mini chocolate chips

 

 

 

 

Keep cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. Two hours should be more than enough to assure that the layers are no longer frozen.

 

 

 

 

Dark chocolate grated into curls with a vegetable peeler makes for an excellent garnish.