DAY Recipe

DIRECTIONS

Melt chocolates in a double boileror a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl fromheat, then whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (frosting will become thick enough to spread).You must work quickly and spreadthe frosting before it becomes too thick. (If icing does become stiff, reheat over simmering water, thencool and try again.)

DIRECTIONS

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax or parchment paper. Butter paper.

Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped (do not allow to become a paste) and stir togetherwith flour in a bowl.

Beat together butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Stir in nutmixture by hand.

Beat egg whites with salt with cleaned beaters in another bowl at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat at high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until center is set and top is pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan ona rack. Cover cake with an inverted baking sheet, then invert cake onto it and remove paper.

Reinvert cake onto a cutting board. Trim about 1/4 inch from each side of cake with a sharp knife, then cut cake crosswise into 4 equal rectangles (each about 9 by 3 1/2 inches). Line baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and transfer cake to baking sheet, arranging layers side by side, touching.

Make jam filling:
Sprinkle gelatin over water in asmall bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften. Heat strained preserves in a double boiler or a metal bowl setover a saucepan of simmering water until warm, then add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about2 minutes. Remove bowl from heatand set in a larger bowl of ice water. Cool, stirring occasionally, until cold,5 to 10 minutes.

Spread jam evenly over cake layers and chill until set, about 1 hour.

Assemble cake:
Reserve the nicest-looking cake layer for top. Put 1 cake layer, jam side up, on a cake platter and spread with 1/3 cup buttercream. Top with second cake layer, jam side up, and spread with1/3 cup buttercream. Top with third layer, jam side up, and spread with1/3 cup buttercream. Top with reserved cake layer, jam side up. Frost sidesof cake with about 1 cup buttercream. Transfer remaining buttercream to pastry bag and pipe a decorative border around top edge of cake.

Cooks’ notes:

• Cake layers spread with jam can be made 1 day ahead of assembling and chilled, loosely covered with plastic wrap (use toothpicks to hold wrap away from jam).

•Cake may be assembled 1 day aheadand chilled in a cake keeper or loosely covered with plastic wrap (use toothpicks to hold wrap away from frosting). Bring to room temperature before serving.

DIRECTIONS

Stir together 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch.

Whisk together sugar, cocoa, and remaining 1 1/2 cups milkin a small heavy saucepan and bringto a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Whisk in coffee granules. Stir cornstarch mixture again and whisk into coffee mixture. Return to a boil, whisking, then remove from heat.

Add vanilla, a pinch of salt, and half of chocolate to saucepan, stirring.

Set saucepan in a large bowl of ice water to cool, whisking frequently.

Freeze chocolate mixture in ice-cream maker. When nearly frozen,add remaining chocolate and churn until blended.

Serve gelato sprinkledwith almonds.

DIRECTIONS

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottoms of each with roundsof wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
Sift together flour, baking soda,and salt. Stir together milk and lemon juice (mixture will curdle).

Beat butter in a large bowl withan electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating untilpale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture andmilk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour, mixing at low speed until just combined.

Divide batter between pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about20 minutes. Cool in pans on racks10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

Make frosting:
Beat cream and confectioners sugar with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold one third of whipped cream into lemon curd to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up,on a cake plate and spread with one fourth of frosting. Top with second layer, rounded side up, and spread top and sides with remaining frosting.

Cooks’ notes:

• Cake can be assembled 1 day ahead and chilled in a cake keeper or looselycovered with plastic wrap (use toothpicks to hold wrap away from frosting).Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

• This batter can be baked in 16 (1/2-cup) muffin cups about 15 minutes; or in a13- by 9-inch baking pan about 25 minutes. Halve cake crosswise to form 2 (9- by6 1/2-inch) rectangles and layer in same manner as above.

•The chocolate sour cream frosting would also be terrific onthese variations.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make peanut butter mixture:
Beat together cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add yolks, sugar, and flour and beat until just combined. Transfer to a pastry bag and chill.

Make chocolate mixture:
Put cocoa powder in a bowl and add boiling water in a stream, whisking until smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate and let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature, then whisk in sour cream and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with cleaned beaters until pale and fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating until batter is just combined.

Fill baking pans:
Spoon some of chocolate mixture into second pastry bag and pipe into well-buttered cake molds to fill each about one fourth of the way. Refill pastry bag as needed.

Form 3 evenly spaced, equal pockets of peanut butter mixture in each cake by placing tip of pastry bag with peanut butter mixture onto bottom of mold and squeezing about a heaping teaspoon each time.

Fill molds three-fourths full with remaining chocolate mixture, smoothing tops but being careful not to disturb peanut butter mixture.

Bake cakes in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering, 15 to 18 minutes (cakes will be dark).

Run a thin knife around inside edges of molds and gently invert cakes onto racks, then cool completely.

Cooks’ notes:

• Chocolate and peanut butter mixtures can be spooned, instead of piped, into molds; don’t worry if the peanut butter dollops are not perfectly uniform in size.

• Cakes may be made 2 days ahead and kept in 1 layer in an airtight container at room temperature.