Cake :
7 egg, seperated
3 egg yolks, additional
455 gm (1 lb) confectionaer’s sugar (icing sugar)
94 gm all purpose flour
1 T lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
Frosting :
227 (8 oz) bittersweet chocolate ( I used 60 per cent cacao)
226 (8 oz) gm butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 large egg yolks
2 T confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar)
Caramel :
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 T water
Make cake
Line, butter and flour well 8 8 inch round pans or 7 9 inch round pans. I only had 3 8 inch round pans so I had some relining and buttering and flouring to do.
Pre-heat oven to 450 F
Beat 10 yolks on high of an electric mixer for a few minutes until it turns pale and lemon coloured. Reduce speed, add sugar gradually and increase speed again and continue likewise until sugar is finished., and mixture is thick and glossy.
Reduce speed again and add flour gradually and then increase speed and mix for about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and mix a few seconds more.
In a seperate bowl that is clean and dry beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Stir in a few tablespoons of the egg white into the egg yolk mixture to loosen the yolk mixture up. Then add the rest of the whites in 3 batches until the whole mixture is smooth. I used a wire whisk to do this.
Divide the batter into 8 or 7 portions depending on the size of your pan ( I weighed my batter) and pour into tins, leveling the batter and baking each layer for 5 minutes.
Keep the baked sponges aside and if you stack them please make sure you have baking paper in between.
Make frosting
Melt chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter till soft and smooth. Add vanilla and 3 egg yolks. Add sugar and cooled chocolate beating well until thoroughly mixed.
Spread this frosting thinly on each layer on cake leaving one layer unused.
Cover the whole cake with the chocolate frosting and chill in fridge while making the caramel layer.
Make Caramel Layer
Place the unused layer of sponge on baking paper. Cut the into 8 wedges. Seperate them a little.
Meanwhile place sugar and water in a small pan and heat on high until the sugar melts and turns amber. Immediately take off heat and pour the caramel over the cut sponge cake.Let teh caramel cool and harden somewhat before cutting with a very sharp knife seperating teh wedges and neatening the edges if necessary.
Arrange on top of the frosted cake.