Boston Trifle

* Exported from MasterCook *

BOSTON TRIFLE

Recipe By : BAKERS' DOZEN (FLO BRAKER ) SHOW #BD1A13
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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Cake:
1 cup sifted cake flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
7 tablespoons granulated sugar -- plus 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
7 large eggs -- room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Glaze (chocolate butter):
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 ounces unsalted butter -- (6 tablespoons)
Custard Filling:
1 1/3 cups halfandhalf
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsifted allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon dark rum=7F
1 cup heavy cream -- (8 ounces)

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Pour the
flour and 7 tablespoons
of sugar in that order into a triple sifter or sieve. Sift onto a sheet of
waxed paper, and set aside.
(Sifting the two together disperses and separates the particles of flour so
that when dry
ingredients are added later to the batter, folding in the flour is easier
and more efficient, requiring
less folding to incorporate. Measure the additional 7 tablespoons and 1
tablespoon of granulated
sugar; set aside.
Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a heavyduty mixer and
yolks in a 1 1/2 quart
bowl. (A deep bowl this size makes it more efficient for whipping the yolks
thoroughly since it
minimizes the surface area.) With an electric hand mixer, whip the yolks on
high speed (#10) for
3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla, and continue whipping for 15 seconds to
incorporate; the mixture
should appear thicker, pale yellow, and increased in volume. Test the
consistency by lifting some
of the mixture with the beaters. If it flows back into the bowl in ribbons
that slowly dissolve on the
surface, proceed to whipping the whites. But if the ribbons sink into the
surface immediately,
continue whipping until the yolks have the desired consistency.
Attach the bowl of whites to the mixer, and with the whisk attachment, whip
on mediumlow speed
(#3) for 30 to 45 seconds to break them up. When small bubbles appear and
the surface is
frothy, stop the machine, and sprinkle the cream of tartar and the 1
tablespoon granulated sugar
in the center. Resume whipping, increasing speed to medium (#5), for 4 to 5
minutes, or until the
whites appear glossy and stiff but not dry or granular.
Detach the whisk and bowl, tapping the whisk against the side of the bowl
with enough force to
free the excess. Pour the yolks onto the whites (notice they float on the
surface). Using just a few
strokes, fold the two together with a rubber spatula. Don't be concerned if
some of the yolks
remain visible. Sprinkle half of 7 tablespoons sugar over the surface, and
fold to incorporate.
Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, folding again to incorporate.
With the aid of a metal spatula, scoop a third of the flour, and sprinkle it
over the egg mixture;
with a rubber spatula, fold to incorporate. Repeat two more times, folding
just until incorporated
after each addition.
Gently pour batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan with the aid of a
rubber spatula and
smooth the surface level. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is
golden. (The batter hardly
rises during the first 20 to 30 minutes of baking. The low oven temperature
allows the batter to
absorb heat slowly, so rising is gradual. Toward the end of baking the cake
may mound high
above the pan's rim. That's fine. As it cools, this dome will contract a
bit.) When finished baking,
the cake should feel spongy, springing back slightly upon being lightly
touched. A toothpick,
inserted in the center, comes out free of cake. The toothpick is the last
test for this cake before
you judge if it is finished baking and remove it from the oven. If in doubt,
baking 5 to 7 more
minutes will not harm the cake.
Remove spongecake from the oven, and immediately turn it upside down,
positioning the edges
of the pan on the inverted glasses. This position, defying gravity, allows
the cake to maintain its
spongy structure without deflating while cooling. Cool the cake for 2 hours;
then turn the pan
right side up, and place it on the counter. Though the cake is cool to the
touch, let it sit for at
least 1 more hour to cool the inside completely. (The cake's structure is
less fragile when cool,
making removal easier.)
To release the spongecake and maintain its shape perfectly, remove it from
the pan as follows:
Carefully loosen the cake crust that is stuck to the top rim of the pan;
insert a thin metal spatula
down 1/8 inch, and loosen and free the crust all around the cake. Then tilt
and rotate pan,
tapping it gently on the counter to free the sponge from the metal sides.
Tap more if it is not
completely released. Finally, release the spring mechanism, and slowly
remove the rim. (You'll
notice the cake seemed to have had a slipcover because a thin, crusty layer
of cake remains on
the springform rim; it's delicious, too.) Now tilt the cake on its side, and
gently tap the metal
bottom on the counter. Rotate the cake as you tap until the removable bottom
appears free.
Additional tapping may be necessary before it comes off completely. Patience
will ensure a
perfectly shaped cake. Yield: one 9inch round cake
For the glaze: Chop the chocolate into matchsticksize pieces with a chef's
knife on a dry cutting
board. Place first the butter, then the chocolate pieces in the top portion
of a 1 1/2 quart double
boiler (or a 1 quart mixing bowl that fits snugly over a saucepan or another
mixing bowl). Fill the
bottom vessel half full with hot tap water (120130 degrees) and place the
chocolate/butter bowl
on top to melt. You may put the double boiler on the stove over a very low
flame just to maintain
the water's temperature while melting the mixture if you wish. Stir
occasionally to blend until the
mixture is smooth, shiny and liquid. Remove from the water, and set aside.
Yield: one scant cup
For the glaze: Chop the chocolate into matchsticksize pieces with a chef's
knife on a dry cutting
board. Place first the butter, then the chocolate pieces in the top portion
of a 1 1/2 quart double
boiler (or a 1 quart mixing bowl that fits snugly over a saucepan or another
mixing bowl). Fill the
bottom vessel half full with hot tap water (120130 degrees) and place the
chocolate/butter bowl
on top to melt. You may put the double boiler on the stove over a very low
flame just to maintain
the water's temperature while melting the mixture if you wish. Stir
occasionally to blend until the
mixture is smooth, shiny and liquid. Remove from the water, and set aside.
Yield: one scant cup
For the custard filling: Pour the halfandhalf into a 1 1/2 quart
heavybottomed saucepan, add the
1/2 cup sugar, and stir to combine. In a 1 quart bowl whisk the egg yolks
and the remaining 1/2
cup sugar to combine. Add the flour, and whisk to combine. Bring the
halfandhalf mixture just to
a boil over medium heat. Remove, and pour half of the hot liquid over the
yolk mixture, whisking
to combine. Pour the yolk mixture into saucepan, and over medium heat bring
it to a boil again,
stirring constantly. When it is thick and smooth, remove it from the heat,
pour it into a 3 quart
mixing bowl to cool, and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a
crust from forming on
the cream. (This bowl size is to allow room for folding in the whipped cream
later.) Pierce the
plastic with the tip of a knife to let steam escape and cool faster.
Refrigerate.
Assembling the Trifle: Split the spongecake evenly into three layers, each
about 7/8-inch thick,
using a 12inch serrated knife in a sawing motion. Lift the top two layers,
one at a time, and set
aside (this is easy because each layer is spongy and thick).
Stir the vanilla and rum into the cold custard. Whip the heavy cream in a 1
1/2 quart mixing bowl
to the Chantilly stage, and fold into the custard mixture. Place the bottom
cake layer of cake in a
2 1/2 to 3 quart glass bowl, and cover it with half of the filling,
spreading evenly with a rubber
spatula. Center the middle layer on top, and cover it with the remaining
filling. Center the last
layer on top. Cover the dessert with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Spoon 1 cup of the ChocolateButter Glaze into a 1 quart bowl over a bowl of
hot tap water (120
to 130 degrees). Stir until liquid and smooth. Spread the glaze over the top
of the dessert evenly
with a metal or rubber spatula. With a 2inch paring knife, scrape the tip of
the blade firmly but
gently down a bar of chocolate. If the chocolate's surface area is cool, you
will get fine flakes; if
it's slightly warm, the shapes will be very small corkscrews. Sprinkle
Chocolate Flakes around
the rim of the dessert. Refrigerate for up to 1 to 2 hours before serving.

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