Cranberry Moussapolooza

Difficulty:

1/5

Serves 16

Ingredients

Cranberry Compote:

12 oz fresh bag or frozen cranberries – (1 ½ cups)
½ cup of sugar – (125ml)
¼ cup of water – (60ml)
1 teaspoon of minced orange peel – (5ml)
3 tablespoons of orange liqueur- Grand Marnier – (45mL)

Chocolate Ganache:

2 cups whipping cream – (500ml)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter – (30ml)
1 ½ pounds chopped semisweet chocolate – (750grams)

Chocolate Cake:

3 tablespoons (1/4 stick) melted unsalted butter – (45ml)
¾ cup room temperature unsalted butter – (175ml)
6 ½ oz chopped semisweet chocolate – (190ml)
9 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar – (250ml)
4 large egg whites
½ cup of Roasted Walnuts
You will need three baking pans about 9 inches in diameter

Directions

Preheat to 325°F
Ganache: Pour 35% cream into a saucepan. Add sugar and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place chocolate in a medium bowl and pour hot cream overtop. Let the chocolate sit and melt for a couple of minutes. Stir the melting chocolate and warm cream together until fully incorporated and smooth. Set the ganache aside and let it cool at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
Cake: Brush each the bottoms and sides of three 9”baking pans with melted unsalted butter. Line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush the parchment with melted butter.
Melt ¾ cup of butter and chocolate in heavy bottomed saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously to achieve a smooth consistency, and then set aside.
Beat egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until it triples in volume.
In a separate bowl, beat your egg whites into soft peaks.
Fold melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in egg whites a bit at a time.
Separate batter evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted easily and removed coming clean. Set the cakes aside to cool in their respective baking pans.
Compote: Combine cranberries, water, sugar, and orange zest in a saucepan over moderate to high heat. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat. Simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce will develop a syrupy consistency and the cranberries will pop. Add orange liqueur and stir. Refrigerate until cooled down.
Assembly: Fold half the ganache into half the cranberry mixture and add roasted nuts. For the assembly of the cake, place a small dollop of ganache in the center of your presentation plate. This will help the cake from sliding. Gently turn your first cake out onto the bottom of a 9-inch diameter tart pan. Remove the parchment. Slide it into place on your presentation plate and lightly spread some chocolate-cranberry-nut mix on top of it. Be careful to not apply too much pressure, avoiding tears into the cake and creating an even foundation.
Slide the second cake on a 9 inch diameter tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment and place it on top of your first layer. Spread some chocolate-cranberry-nut mixture. Turn out your third cake as before and place it on top.
Using an icing spatula apply your plain ganache to ice the walls and top of your cake.
Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the last cup of unmixed chocolate ganache. Pipe a thick ring along the borders of the top layer. Spoon the balance of the plain cranberry compote inside the ganache ring.
Serve and enjoy!