At the hotel I used to work, the 'pastry chef' was asked quite often to make this cake - Done right it's a great tasting, moist cake. I love it - additives and all. But, I never ask her for the recipe. Good luck in your quest.
BUT, I do have a recipe for this one - we played with it one time and it was heaven - but, it's Maida Heatter's, what else could it be????
Black Velvet Icebox Cake
Adapted from the famous Chocolate Velvet, served at Restaurant Associates’ Four Seasons in NYC – serves 16 to 24 (portions should be small)
Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts
Prepare 2 sponge sheets from the following recipe, making one after the other. Do not double the recipe.
Sponge Sheet: (This classic recipe will make a thin, rather solid but flexible sheet)
5 eggs separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons sifted All-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Adjust rack one-third up from bottom of oven. Preheat to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 10-1/2 x 15-1/2 x 1” jelly roll pan. Line bottom and sides with one long piece of wax paper. Butter the paper and dust lightly with flour.
In small bowl of mixer at HIGH speed, beat yolks 3-4 minutes until thick and light lemon colored.
Add 2 Tablespoons of the sugar (reserve remaining 2 Tablespoons) and the vanilla.
Continue to beat at HIGH speed for 3-4 minutes more until mixture is very thick and falls very slowly from the beaters when they are lifted.
Reduce speed to LOWEST and add flour, scraping bowl with rubber spatula and beating only until flour is incorporated.
In large bowl of mixer, with clean beaters, at HIGH speed, beat the egg whites with the salt until the mixture thickens enough to hold a very soft shape. Gradually add the reserved 2 Tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat at HIGH speed until mixture holds a firm shape and is stiff but not dry.
In 3 additions, fold one-half of the whites into the yolks (don’t be too thorough) then fold the yolks back into the remaining whites only until no whites show. Handle as little as possible.
Turn batter into prepared pan. Handle lightly. With rubber spatula, spread as smooth as possible – there should be no thin spots. (The batter will not run, it will stay where you put it.)
Bake 15-18 minutes or until top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched in the center and cakes comes away from sides of pan.
While cake is baking, spread out a dry kitchen towel (smooth cotton, flour sacking or linen). Remove baked cake from oven and invert immediately onto the towel.
Remove pan and wax paper. Let cool on towel. Repeat to make second sponge sheet.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Line the bottom of a 9x3” springform pan (sides must be 3” high) with wax paper, unbuttered.
At one short end of a sponge sheet, right up against the end, touching the edge trace around the spring form with a small sharp knife just to indicate the circle. Remove spring form and cut out the circle of cake. Repeat with second sponge sheet, making second circle of cake.
Place one of the cake rounds in the pan.
With a ruler and toothpicks, carefully mark remaining pieces of cake into even slices 2-3/4” wide (two from one piece of cake and one from the other), marking from short end of sponge sheet, so they are 9-1/2” long. Cut with small sharp knife, cutting against the ruler. That gives you 3 slices, each one 2-3/4” x 9-1/2”.
Cut 1 inch off one of the long strips, making it 8-1/2 inches long. Place it and the other 2 longer strips standing up around the sides of the pan, the top side of the cake against the pan. Fit the strips together tightly, pushing them into each other to make a tight fit.
Reserve remaining round of cake. You will not need the cut ends and pieces.
Prepare the following Chocolate Filling:
CHOCOLATE FILLING:
1-1/2 pounds (24 squares) semisweet chocolate
1-1/2 Tablespoons instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
3 egg yolks
1 cup egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
Place chocolate in top of large double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir occasionally until melted. Turn it into a small bowl of electric mixer and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cooled to room temperature.
Meanwhile, dissolve instant coffee in boiling water and set aside.
When chocolate has completely cooled, on LOWEST speed very gradually beat in the prepared coffee and the Grand Marnier and then the egg yolks, scraping with a rubber spatula as necessary to keep mixture smooth. Beat only until smooth. Set aside.
In large bowl of mixer at HIGH speed, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a very soft shape. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to beat until whites hold a definite point, or are stiff but not dry.
Fold one large spoonful of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in another large spoonful. Gradually, in several additions, fold in half of the remaining whites, folding completely until no whites show.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, whip the cream until it holds a soft shape but is not stiff. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the filling into the cake lined pan. If it reaches to the top of the cake on the sides, cover with the remaining circle of cake.
If the filling does not quite reach to the top of the cake, cut around the remaining circle of cake with scissors, cutting in 1/4” from the edge to make the circle small enough to fit down inside the cake on the sides. Place it over the filling.
Cover with clear wrap or aluminum foil and a light weight. (I use a cake pan or a small cookie sheet with something not too heavy placed on the center of it.)
Refrigerate for 5 hours or more (or freeze, if you wish).
Remove sides of spring form. Place dessert platter over dessert. VERY CAREFULLY invert. Remove bottom of pan and paper.
Cut six strips of wax paper, each 1-1/2 to 2” wide and 6-8 inches long. With a wide metal spatula or pancake turner, very gently raise a small section of the cake and slide a strip of wax paper under it to protect the plate when icing the cake. Continue all around cake.
Cover with the following icing:
ICING:
6 ounces semisweet or extra-bittersweet chocolate (Tobler Extra-Bittersweet is the best)
1/2 cup boiling water
Break chocolate into pieces and place them in a small heavy bottomed saucepan. Add boiling water and place over LOW heat. Stir with wire whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature to cool. Stir the icing well.
Working quickly before the cold cake hardens the icing, pour it over the cake completely covering the top and letting very little run down the sides.
With a small narrow metal spatula, spread smoothly on the sides.
Remove wax paper strips immediately before icing sets.
NOTES:
Ø Black Velvet may be refrigerated for a day or two or it may be frozen before it is iced.
Ø Dip knife in hot water or hold it under running hot water before cutting each slice
Ø Black Velvet may be served ‘as is’ or with Grand Marnier Custard Sauce or with sweetened whipped cream flavored with Grand Marnier.
Denver Red Cake
Copied----to do!!!