If you love chocolate desserts and appreciate the elegance and contrasts of modern pastry creations, this cake will be one of the best you've ever tasted. Test it for yourself: Iginio Massari's Seven Veils Cake in all its goodness.
For the Sponge Cake
- 250g almond paste (sugar/almond ratio 1:2)
- 200g egg yolks (to be whipped)
- 5g powdered egg whites
- 300g egg whites
- 80g sugar (whip until glossy peaks form)
- 200g coarsely grated dark chocolate
- 180g sifted flour
Method
Whip the egg yolks with almond paste until you get a stable and consistent foam. Whip the egg whites with sugar until glossy and stiff. Grate the chocolate coarsely and sift the flour. Add one-third of the egg whites to the yolks, mix gently, add chocolate and flour, combine, and complete the batter by incorporating the remaining egg whites. Form disks with a thickness of 7-8 mm. Bake at 220°C for about 4-5 minutes with the valve closed.
For the Soft Chocolate Amaretto
- 150g sugar
- 250g egg whites (to be whipped)
- 100g sugar
- 100g almonds (ground)
- 20g cocoa
- 50g sifted flour
- 50g melted chocolate
Method
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with sugar, finely grind the almonds with sugar, sift flour, cocoa, almonds, and sugar; gently fold in with a spatula. Form disks the size of the cake with a smooth nozzle or Teflon molds. Bake at 220°C for 12 minutes; lightly dust with powdered sugar before baking.
For the Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse
- 180g egg yolks
- 150g raspberry juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 150g sugar
- 500g melted Sambirano 75% chocolate
- 1100g shiny whipped cream
Method
Gently incorporate raspberries, a third of whipped cream, melted chocolate at 40-45°C, and then the remaining whipped cream into the egg and raspberry mixture. The cream should be glossy and homogeneous. After placing the chocolate mousse filling layer in the cake, incorporate fresh raspberry fruits, about 60g for each layer.
For the Neutral Gelatin
- 600g water
- 80g sugar
- 16g pectin (mix with sugar)
- 300g glucose
- 760g sugar
- 35g lemon juice
Method
Put everything in a pot and cook over medium heat. Cook until 67°Brix, measure with a refractometer.
For the Royal Glaze
- 150g cream (to boil)
- 75g milk chocolate
- 600g hot neutral gelatin
- 135g 75% dark chocolate with cocoa mass
Method
Boil the cream, incorporate the milk chocolate, melt, add the hot neutral gelatin, and complete by stirring and adding dark chocolate. To achieve a good glaze, melt it at 36-38°C, let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes: you will get a covering mass without air bubbles and shiny.
