CHOCOLATE HARVEST CAKE

Steps:

• 1. CHOCOLATE GANACHE (needs to be prepared day before) Recipe makes enough for one 9" cake. About 1 1/3 cups. Bring cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Pour into bowl; refrigerate overnight. Just before using, beat with electric mixer until just fluffy, about 5 seconds.
• 2. CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 9" cake pan with 1 1/2" high sides.
• 3. Sift 3/4 cup flour with cocoa and baking powder into medium bowl.
• 4. Whisk eggs and sugar in large bowl. Set over saucepan of boiling water and whisk eggs until warm to the touch. Remove bowl from over water.
• 5. Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until it whitens and more than triples in volume, about 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla.
• 6. Sift dry ingredients again and gently fold into egg mixture until just incorporated.
• 7. Add butter and fold in until just incorporated; do not overmix.
• 8. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Invert on cake rack and cool.
• 9. FRUIT FILLING: Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in heavy medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• 10. Puree mixture in blender with brandy. Cool completely in blender. Add butter to puree and blend until smooth.
• 11. CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Recipe makes enough for 1 9" cake. (about 1 1/8 cups)
• 12. Melt butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Mix in corn syrup. (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature. Whisk over low heat until melted before continuing.)
• 13. Let glaze stand until just cool to touch, about 20 minutes. Use immediately.
• 14. ASSEMBLING THE CAKE: Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers using a serrated knife. Place bottom layer on a 9" cardboard round or cake pan bottom.
• 15. Set aside 1/2 cup ganache for cake top and sides. Spread half of remaining ganache over bottom cake layer.
• 16. Spread scant 1/2 cup fruit filling over layer of ganache. Top with middle cake layer.
• 17. Spread middle cake layer with other half of ganache. Spread scant 1/2 cup fruit filling over that layer of ganache. Cover with top cake layer.
• 18. Spread remaining fruit filling over top of cake. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• 19. Spread reserved 1/2 cup ganache over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until ganache is firm, about 1 hour.
• 20. Place cake on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Spoon some of the glaze over sides of cake. Pour remaining glaze over top of cake.
• 21. Smooth top and sides with spatula if necessary. Let stand 30 minutes. Press toasted walnuts onto sides of cake using palm of hand.
• 22. Roll 3 dried apricots and 3 pitted prunes out on lightly oiled surface to thickness of 1/8". Cut into assorted leaf shapes. Arrange in clusters atop the cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead, refrigerate. Let cake stand 3 1/2 hours at room temperature before serving.)