Golden Cake with Boiled Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:
7 egg whites
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

For Boiled Chocolate Icing:
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
6 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
*NOTE: Bring eggs to room temperature before starting to make cake. Separate the yolks from the whites into 2 bowls.

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F (160 C).

To Prepare the Cake:
Separate eggs carefully, putting whites in a large mixing bowl, yolks in another large mixing bowl. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Slowly add the cold water. Gradually beat in sugar, then vanilla and beat until pale in color and thicker in texture. Total beating time can be as long as 7 minutes. Sift (sifted) flour again with salt and baking powder. Return to sifter; fold into egg yolk mixture, sifting in a little at a time from sifter.

Beat egg whites gently until foamy. Add a pinch of salt and cream of tartar. Increase mixer speed and beat until they form moist, glossy peaks.

Pour egg yolk mixture in thin stream over entire surface of egg white mixture, gently cutting and folding with rubber spatula, making sure everything is completely folded. Pour into ungreased 10-inch (25cm) tube pan. Draw a thin spatula gently through the batter to get rid of any large air pockets in the batter.

Bake at 325 degrees F (160 C) on center rack in preheated oven for 60 minutes (cake tends to fall at 50 minutes). Remove cake from oven and cool on rack (in pan) for 15 minutes, then turn out cake onto cooling rack and let cool completely, usually about 1-1 1/2 hours.
Frost when cooled completely with Boiled Chocolate Icing.

Makes 12-16 servings.

To Make the Boiled Chocolate Icing:
Combine sugar, eggs and heavy cream. Add chocolate (can be melted in microwave 60 seconds or so). Bring to boil at medium heat. Cover and boil at low-med 2-3 minutes until steam washes any sugar crystals down from the sides, continue to soft ball stage. Cool a bit (no more than 5 minutes) and add butter and vanilla. Beat to proper thickness and spread on cake.

Date: February 6, 2003