Mocha Framboise

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prepare two 10-by-15 inch jelly roll pans by greasing and flouring them, then lining the bottoms with parchment paper.

To make the cake, beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Slowly add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is thick and forms a ribbon when it falls from the beaters. Divide the yolk mixture into two bowls; add the melted chocolate to one bowl and the ground walnuts and instant coffee to the second. Beat each well and set aside.

Beat the egg whites at medium speed until foamy, then raise the speed to high. Beat until stiff peaks form and then slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold half of the meringue into each of the yolk mixtures and immediately pour the batter into the 2 pans.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven, cover the pans with tea towels, and let cool. Unmold and cut each cake lengthwise into two 5-by-15 inch pieces. Brush off crumbs. Set aside.

To make the chocolate cream, bring the cream to a boil, remove from heat, then stir in the chocolate. Place in the freezer until cool, then whip to a creamy consistency.

To make the coffee buttercream, cook the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240 F on a candy thermometer. Beat the eggs, then slowly add the sugar syrup while beating, and continue to beat until the mixture cools. This can be done with a mixer or a food processor. Beat in the soft butter, bit by bit, then flavor with coffee extract. Chill until firm enough to handle, but do not allow it to become hard.

To assemble the cake, start with 1 layer of chocolate cake and brush with the liqueur. Spread with all of the jam and layer of coffee buttercream. Top with a layer of walnut cake and spread with half of the chocolate cream. Top with the second walnut layer and the remaining chocolate cream. Finish with the chocolate layer and end with the remaining coffee buttercream on the top and sides of the cake.

Mark the cake into 16 pieces and pipe a rosette on each side of each piece. Sprinkle the sides with chopped walnuts and place chocolate coffee beans on each rosette.

Serve at room temperature.

Note: The cake can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and should be stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.