Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse Cake *jb Recipe

-SYRUP-
2/3 c Sugar
5 tb Water
5 tb Irish whiskey

CAKE
6 lg Eggs
3/4 c Plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tb Instant espresso powder or
-coffee powder
1 pn Salt
1 c All purpose flour

-CHOCOLATE BANDS-
2 Waxed (14 1/2 x 3-inch)
-paper strips
4 oz Semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tb Plus 1 teaspoon solid
-vegetable shortening

-CHOCOLATE CURLS-
12 Squares (1-ounce) semisweet
-baking chocolate
Powdered sugar

Mousse: Whisk eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over
saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch
water) and whisk constantly until candy thermometer registers 160F.,
about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer,
beat egg mixture until cool and very thick, about 10 minutes. Place
chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water; stir until
melted and smooth. Remove chocolate from over water. Cool to luke
warm. Combine cream and Irish cream liqueur in medium bowl; beat to
stiff peaks. Pour luke warm melted chocolate over egg mixture and
fold together. Fold in cream mixture. Cover and chill until set, at
least 4 hours or overnight.

Syrup: Combine sugar and water in small saucepan. Stir over low heat
until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Remove from
heat. Mix in whiskey. Cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and
let stand at room temperature.)

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 B0F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan
with 2-3/4-inch high sides. Line bottom with parchment paper. Using
electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder and salt in large
bowl until mixture thickens and slowly dissolving ribbon forms when
beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes. Sift 1/3 of flour over and
gently fold into egg mixture. Repeat 2 more times (do not overmix or
batter may deflate.) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester
inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake
completely in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to
loosen cake. Release pan sides. Turn out cake. Remove pan bottom.
Peel off parchment. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cake in
plastic and chill.)

Assembly: Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 layers.
Place bottom cake layer on platter. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup.
Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with second cake layer. Brush with 3
tablespoons syrup. Spread 2 cups mousse over. Top with third cake
layer, cut side down. Brush with 3 tablespoons syrup. Spread
remaining mousse over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate cake while
preparing chocolate bands.

Chocolate Bands: Line large baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Place another large sheet of foil on work surface; top with waxed
paper strips, spacing apart. Stir chopped semisweet chocolate and
vegetable shortening in heavy small saucepan over low heat until
melted and smooth. Pour half of melted chocolate down center of each
waxed paper strip. Using metal icing spatula, spread chocolate to
cover strips evenly and completely, allowing some chocolate to extend
beyond edges of paper strips. Using fingertips, lift strips and place
on clean foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate just until chocolate
begins to set but is still very flexible, about 2 minutes. Remove
chocolate bands from refrigerator. Using fingertips, lift 1 band from
foil. With chocolate side next to cake, place band around side of
cake; press gently to adhere (band will be higher than cake). Repeat
with second chocolate band, pressing onto uncovered side of cake so
that ends of chocolate bands just meet (if ends overlap, use scissors
to trim any excess paper and chocolate). Refrigerate until chocolate
sets, about 5 minutes. Gently peel off paper. Refrigerate cake.

Chocolate curls: Line baking sheet with foil. Unwrap 1 square of
chocolate. Place chocolate on its paper wrapper in microwave. Cook on
High just until chocolate begins to soften slightly, about 1 minute
(time will vary depending on power of microwave). Turn chocolate
square onto 1 side and hold in hand. Working over foil-lined sheet,
pull vegetable peeler along sides of chocolate, allowing chocolate
curls to fall gently onto foil. Form as many curls as possible.
Repeat process with remaining chocolate squares. Place curls
decoratively atop cake, mounding slightly. (Can be prepared 1 day
ahead. Refrigerate cake.) Sift powdered sugar over chocolate curls
before serving cake.