Chocolate Valencia

To make the roulade: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly grease three 1/2-inch-deep sheet pans and line with parchment paper. Lightly butter the paper. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until the sugar is melted and the mixture is pale yellow. Add the vanilla. Fold in the cake flour. In a clean bowl, with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to beat the whites on high speed until they form firm, glossy peaks. Fold a large spoonful of the egg whites into the flour mixture to lighten, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spread the batter on the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cool enough to handle; turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

Warm the marmalade over low heat until liquified; strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Cut each sheet of cake into thirds lengthwise. Lay one strip on a parchment-lined sheet pan and spread with a layer of strained marmalade. Top with a second strip. Repeat this process to laminate all the strips with marmalade, pressing down slightly on each layer to form a firm bond between layers. Cover with foil and freeze overnight.

To make the genoise: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch cake pan, line with parchment paper, and lightly butter the parchment. Place the eggs and sugar in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water; do not let the bottom of the pan touch the water. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from heat and beat on medium speed until cooled, about 10 minutes. Sift the flour and baking powder together and gently fold into the egg mixture. Melt the butter and let it cool, then fold into the batter. Fold in the vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when touched, about 25 minutes. Remove and cool enough to handle; turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the anglaise: Bring the milk and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Put the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and whisk slightly to break them up. Slowly pour a large spoonful of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, whisking briskly as you pour, to temper the eggs. Reduce the heat to medium and replace the milk mixture over the heat. Whisking, pour the tempered egg yolks into the milk. Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool slightly. Place plastic wrap over the surface and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the bavarian: Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water; do not let the bottom of the pan touch the water. When softened, remove the pan from the heat and stir the chocolate with a spatula until smooth. Stir the gelatin powder into the water and let stand 3 minutes. In the top of a double boiler over simmering water, warm the anglaise until it liquifies. Add the softened gelatin, let stand 1 minute, then stir until combined. Fold this mixture into the chocolate. Put the chocolate mixture in a large bowl. Fold a large spoonful of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining cream in two additions. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

To make the chocolate garnish: Spread a clean heavy plastic sheet over a sheet pan. Separately grate 2 tablespoons of each chocolate and set aside. Place the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water; do not let the bottom of the pan touch the water. When softened, stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth. Heat the chocolate to 110 F. Do not let any water come in contact with the chocolate; do not let the temperature go above 115 F. Remove the pan from the hot water bath. Stir in the grated dark chocolate, a spoonful at a time, to cool the chocolate to 90°F. Set the pan on a heating pad set on low to maintain the temperature at 90 F. Repeat separately with the milk chocolate (and its matching grated chocolate) and white chocolate (and its matching grated chocolate), cooling these chocolates to 86 F. Roll parchment paper into three 4-inch tall cones. Fill one with dark chocolate and snip a tiny hole in the tip. Drizzle the dark chocolate over the plastic in a lattice design. Repeat with each of the other chocolates, building up a three-colored lattice. Chill in the freezer at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To make the syrup: Combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the orange liqueur. Store in a jar with a lid until ready to use.

To assemble: Remove the roulade from the freezer and cut vertically into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lightly butter a 10-inch springform pan and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Fit the slices of laminated roulade around the edge of the pan with the stripes running vertically. Slice the genoise into three thin layers horizontally with a serrated knife; dust off the crumbs. Place one layer of genoise in the bottom of the springform pan, inside the laminated roulade. Sprinkle the genoise with orange liqueur syrup. Pipe or spoon half of the chocolate Bavarian over the genoise. Top with the second layer of genoise and press down lightly. Sprinkle with syrup. Pipe or spoon the remaining Bavarian over the layer. Top with the final layer of genoise. Press down gently. Sprinkle with syrup. You should have only about 1/4-inch of laminated roulade standing up above the top of the last layer of genoise. Warm the marmalade over low heat until liquified; strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Spread the warm marmalade over the top of the cake to fill to the top of the roulade. Chill in the refrigerator until the marmalade is set. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

To serve: Remove the cake from the freezer. Take out of the springform pan and place on a cake plate or disk of foil-covered cardboard. Let stand for 30 minutes to thaw. Put the whipped cream in a pastry bag fitted with a medium fluted tip and pipe 12 rosettes of cream around the perimeter of the cake. Break the tri-colored chocolate garnish into small pieces and lean one against the right side of each cream rosette. When ready to slice, cut with a serrated knife dipped in hot water and dried between each slice. The cake slices may be garnished on the plate with the remaining Creme Anglaise, fresh orange slices and mint sprigs.