FOR THE CRUST
2 1/2 c Fine chocolate wafer crumbs 7 oz (about 3 cups) sweetened
1/2 c Unsalted butter melted and -flaked coconut toasted
-cooled (1 stick)
FOR THE BATTER
1/4 c Unsalted butter 2 ts Instant coffee powder
3/4 c Firmly packed lt brown sugar 1 ts Frangelico(hazelnut liqueur)
3 lg Eggs 1/4 c Flour
12 oz Semisweet chocolate, melted 1 c Unsalted cashews chopped
& cooled
-FOR THE TOPPING-
2 c Well chilled heavy cream -flavored bittersweet
3 oz Fine quality hazelnut- -chocolate, curled
To Make the Crust:
1. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan. In a bowl, combine well
the wafer crumbs and 1/4 cup of the butter and pat the mixture onto
the bottom of the prepared pan. In another bowl, stir together well
the coconut (well cooled) and the remaining 1/4 cup butter and pat
the mixture 1 inch up the side of the pan.
To Make the Batter:
1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the
brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy; add the eggs, 1 at
a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted
chocolate, instant coffee, and the Frangelico. Stir in the flour and
the cashews.
2. Pout the batter into the crust and bake the cake in the middle of a
preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes, or until it is set. Let the cake
cool completely in the pan on a rack and chill it, covered,
overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan and remove the
side of the pan.
For the Topping:
1. In a chilled bowl beat the cream until it just holds stiff peaks,
spread the sides and the top of the cake with whipped cream and
garnish the cake with the chocolate curls.
Yields
12 servings