Macaroon Mocha Buttercream Cake
Chocolate genoise is layered with mocha buttercream and glazed with chocolate. Ground macaroons are sprinkled over the layers and pressed around the outside of the cake.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Genoise
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Cocoa - 1 heaping tablespoon
- Cake flour - 3/4 cup, sifted
- Eggs - 6
- Sugar - 3/4 cup
- Orange Zest - Zest of 1 orange, grated
- Mocha Buttercream
- Eggs - 6
- Sugar - 1-1/2 cups
- Espresso (Strong Coffee) - 1/4 cup
- Unsweetened Chocolate - 8 ounces, chopped and melted
- Unsalted Butter - 7 ounces (2 sticks minus 2 tablespoons) at room temperature
- Syrup
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Sugar - 2 tablespoons
- Orange Liqueur - 2 drops
- Ganache
- Semi-sweet chocolate - 6 ounces, chopped
- Unsweetened Chocolate - 6 ounces, chopped
- To assemble
- Chocolate Macaroons - 1 cup, ground
- Blood Oranges - 2
- Mint leaves
Instructions
To make the genoise: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 6-inch springform pan. Melt the butter. Sift the cocoa and cake flour together. Break the eggs into a separate mixing bowl and add the sugar. Whisk over warm water just until warm, then whip with mixer at high speed until cool, light in consistency, and almost doubled in volume. Fold in the flour mixture; fold in the butter and orange zest. Pour into the prepared pan and bake 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove and cool; when cooled, cut into 3 layers.
To prepare the buttercream: In the top of a double boiler, whisk the eggs and sugar together over barely simmering water until the mixture becomes fluffy and triples in volume; bubbles will disappear and it will become a thick cream. Remove from heat and add the espresso and melted chocolate. Whip at high speed until cooled, 7 to 10 minutes. Gradually add the butter and whip 3 to 4 minutes until the butter is incorporated. Set aside at room temperature.
To prepare the syrup: Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add the liqueur. Reserve at room temperature.
To prepare the ganache: Combine the chocolates in the top of a double boiler and slowly melt over barely simmering water.
To assemble: Put 1 layer of the genoise into the springform pan. Baste the cake with half of the syrup. Pipe a layer of buttercream onto the cake. Sprinkle with ground chocolate macaroons. Top with another layer of genoise. Press down gently. Repeat to make another layer. Spread ganache over the top. Refrigerate overnight. Unmold and, if desired, pipe additional buttercream on the top and spread on the sides of the cake. Press ground macaroons onto the sides.
To serve: Slice and serve garnished with blood orange sections and mint leaves.
