CHESTNUT ALMOND ESPRESSO CAKE WITH MOCHA WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• For the Cake:Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
• Set aside in a small dish.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 9" round cake pans.
• If you are using fresh chestnuts, place them in a saucepan with water to cover.
• Simmer the chestnuts until they are tender, about 40 minutes.
• BE sure to keep the water level over the chestnuts as they cook.
• Drain the chestnuts, reserving 1 cup of the liquid, and set aside 6 whole nuts.
• When they are cool enough to handle, peel the skin with a paring knife.
• Puree the chestnuts in the bowl of a food processor and remove the puree to a small bowl.
• If you need more liquid, add some of the reserved cooking liquid.
• The puree should be as stiff as peanut butter.
• Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium spped for 5 minutes or until the mixture forms ribbons when you raise the beater from the batter.
• On low speed, blend in the chestnut puree, almonds, vanilla and espresso.
• With the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites in a bowl of your electric mixer with the pinch of salt until they form soft peaks.
• Do not overbeat.
• Add 1/4 of the whites to the egg yolk batter and blend well; carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until you have a fluffy batter.
• Fill the cake pans evenly with the batter.
• Gently rap the pans on the counter to settle the batter.
• Bake the cake layers on the center rack of the oven for about 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cakes to cool 10 minuts in their pans, then invert them onto wire cooling racks.
• Place 1 cake layer on a large round cake platter.
• Frost the sides and top of the bottom layer with Mocha Whipped Cream.
• Place the top layer over the cream and frost the rest of the cake.
• Cut the reserved whole chestnuts in half and arrange them over the cake.
• Chill the cake at least 1 hoiur.
• Remove it from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.
• For the Mocha Whipped Cream:Combine the cream, chocolate and espresso in a heavy saucepan.
• Cook, stirring, over moderate heat until the chocolate has melted and the mixture thickened.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and refrigerate until the mocha cream has chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Whip the cream until stiff.