Macaroon chocolate cake

COOK TIME
135 mins

TOTAL TIME
135 mins

Ingredients

Directions

1. 1

   Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the pulp. Knead vanilla pulp, flour, icing sugar, butter, egg yolk and a tablespoon of ice water in a bowl. Chill the short pastry for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Roll out on a springform pan (22 cm Ø), prick several times with a fork. Bake in a preheated oven (electric: 175°C/ gas: level 2) for 15-20 minutes. For the macaroon rings, sieve icing sugar and knead with the raw marzipan mixture, egg yolk and lemon zest.

3. 3

   Pour the mixture into a piping bag with a large perforated spout. Line two baking trays with baking paper and draw two circles (19-20 cm Ø) each. Spray macaroon mixture onto the stencils. Bake in a preheated oven (electric: 150 °C / gas: level 1) for 15 minutes until golden brown.

4. 4

   Let it cool down. For the filling, heat the sugar and 50 millilitres of water (3-4 tablespoons) while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool. 225 grams

5. 5

   Spread the short pastry thinly with one or two tablespoons of couverture and place the macaroon rings as a border on the base. Whip the cream until stiff. Gradually stir lukewarm sugar water into the remaining liquid chocolate coating.

6. 6

   Stir in 1/4 of the cream, then fold in the remaining cream. Chill for one to two hours. In the meantime, chop the rest of the chocolate coating finely. When the chocolate cream thickens, fold in the chopped chocolate and place in the cake.

7. 7

   Put it in the fridge overnight. Knead marzipan paste and icing sugar. Melt the couverture and put it in a freezer bag. Cut off a small corner. Decorate the edge of the cake with chocolate strips. Press marzipan through a garlic press and decorate the middle of the cake with a marzipan nest.

8. 8

   Place chocolate almonds as eggs in the nest. Serve decorated with lemon balm. Makes twelve pieces.