Instructions

Cake:

About 4 hours before serving or early in day: Preheat oven to 325º. Grease bottom only of 9-inch springform pan. In 2-quart saucepan over low heat, heat 2/3 cup of butter, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, and ¾ cup sugar until butter just melts. Remove from heat; stir in 1 cup unsweetened cocoa. Freeze mixture, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 6 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt just until mixed. Add ½ cup flour and ¾ cup sugar. On high speed, beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir about ¼ of egg mixture into cooled chocolate mixture then fold all fo the chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture. Pour batter into pan. Bake 55-60 minutes until cake is firm in center. (Cake will be very moist when done; standard tests for doneness cannot be used.) Run thin-bladed knife around edge of cake to loosen from side of pan. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack (cake will fall and leave a deep indentation). Remove side of pan. Prepare White Chocolate Glaze; spread over cake. Refrigerate until glaze is firm. Prepare Chocolate Leaves; use to garnish cake.

White Chocolate Glaze:

Melt 12 ounces white chocolate or Swiss confectionery bars or white baking bars, 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar and ¼ cup shortening in a 1-quart saucepan over very low heat.

Chocolate Leaves:

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate pieces and 4 teaspoons shortening. In another saucepan over very low heat, melt 3 ounces of white chocolate and 1 tablespoon of shortening. Rinse and dry 16-20 medium-size lemon leaves. Spread semi-sweet or white chocolate mixture on underside of leaves. Refrigerate until firm. Peel each leaf from chocolate. Repeat with remaining chocolate.