Chocolate Marquise - whipping cream

Method

• Scald cream in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove pan from heat.
• Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
• Pour filling into large bowl.
• Refrigerate until filling is very thick but still spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Bring sugar, water and chopped prunes to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Add Cognac.
• Cover and let mixture steep 1 hour.
• Strain, reserving prunes and syrup separately.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350F.
• Butter 11x17 1/2-inch cookie sheet with 1-inch-high sides.
• Line cookie sheet with parchment.
• Butter parchment and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl.
• Using electric mixer, cream 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter in large bowl.
• Gradually beat in sugar (mixture will be grainy).
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Mix in melted unsweetened chocolate and prunes reserved from syrup.
• Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and scraping down sides of bowl.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly.
• Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
• Dust parchment sheet with cocoa powder.
• Run knife around edges of pan to loosen cake.
• Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes.
• Turn cake out onto prepared parchment sheet.
• Peel parchment off cake bottom.
• Cool completely.
• Trim 1/2 inch off each short edge of cake.
• Cut remainder of cake into three 5x10 1/2-inch rectangles (there will be some cake left over).
• Place 1 cake layer onto 4 1/2x10-inch cardboard rectangle.
• Brush cake with 3 tablespoons syrup.
• Spread 3/4 cup filling over.
• Place second cake layer atop filling.
• Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup.
• Spread 3/4 cup filling over.
• Top with third cake layer.
• Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup.
• Spread 1 cup filling over top and sides of cake to coat.
• Chill cake until coating is firm, 45 minutes.
• Heat remaining filling in heavy small saucepan over low heat.
• Add 1/4 cup butter and whisk until butter melts and mixture is smooth.
• Chill until glaze is slightly thickened but still pourable, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer cake on cardboard base to rack set over large piece of foil.
• Pour glaze over top and sides of cake, smoothing sides only.
• Let stand 15 minutes.
• Melt milk chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
• Pour chocolate into small parchment cone.
• Cut off tip to form small opening.
• Pipe chocolate lines 1/2 inch apart crosswise over top of cake.
• Starting at 1 short edge 3/4 inch from long edge, draw tip of small sharp knife through chocolate lines to second short edge.
• Starting at second short edge 3/4 inch from first line, draw knife tip through lines in opposite direction.
• Continue drawing knife tip through chocolate lines, spacing drawn lines 3/4 inch apart and reversing direction each time, creating chevron pattern.
• Transfer cake to platter.
• Spoon all glaze left on foil into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch (no.
• 3) star tip.
• Pipe shell pattern unto platter around base of cake.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.
• Cover cake loosely and refrigerate.
• Bring cake to room temperature before serving.)