Ladyfingers, rum, chocolate and cream -- more like a mousse than a cake.
INGREDIENTS (for 1 servings):
- 3 (3 ounce) packages ladyfinger cookies
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 1 1/2 pounds butter
- 2 (12 ounce) packages semisweet chocolate chips
- 12 eggs, separated
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
PREPARATION:
Brush the ladyfingers with rum and use them to line the bottom and sides of a 10 inch spring form pan.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and add 24 oz. of chocolate chips; stir until melted. Cool slightly, then beat egg yolks into the mixture, one at a time, until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff, but not dry, peaks. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture and pour into the lined pan. Chill in refrigerator for 6 hours.
In a large bowl, whip the cream with an electric mixer until thick. Blend in sugar and vanilla, and whip until stiff peaks form. Invert the chilled cake onto a serving platter and remove the sides and bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of whipped cream over the entire cake, and pipe the remaining whipped cream in a decorative pattern of your choice. In the top of a double boiler, melt the 1/2 chocolate chips with the oil. Cool, then drizzle over finished cake. Refrigerate until serving.