Pharisee Cake

In Germany a "Pharisee" is a coffee with 4 cl rum covered with a dollop of whipped cream, so that the alcohol cannot evaporate in  the hot coffee.

While this is a very nice beverage on a cold day, I prefere the cake version:

Here is the receipe (makes 12 jars):

cake:
150 gr / 5,3 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)
150 gr / 5,3 oz butter
75 gr / 2,6 oz powdered sugar
pulp from 1 vanilla bean
2 pinches of cinnamon
1 pinch of clove
zest from half a lemon
6 eggs
150 gr / 5,3 oz sifted flour
1 dash of salt
75 gr / 2,6 oz fine backing sugar (not powdered)

soaking syrup:
100 gr / 3,5 oz sugar
150 ml / 5 fl oz strong coffee
100 ml / 3 fl oz rum

cream:
300 gr / 10,5 oz whipping cream
100 gr / 3,5 oz mascarpone
30 gr / 1 oz powdered sugar
50 ml / 4 tbsp rum

Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
Warm coffee and sugar, add rum. Let cool.
Chop chocolate, melt.
Beat butter, powdered sugar, spices and lemon zest until frothy.
Separate eggs.
Add yokes one by one to butter mixture.
Add 3 tbsp flour and melted chocolate.
Whisk egg whites stiff, adding a dash of salt.
Slowly add the sugar.
Fold the beaten egg whites und the remaining flour into the butter mixture.
Fill oven-safe jars no more than 2/3 with batter.
Bake for 30 min.
Let cool.

Alternatively you can bake the cake in a regular pan and later cut out circles using a cookie cutter or glass.

Soak the cake with the syrup.
Whip the cream until stiff.
Mix mascarpone with sugar and rum.
Fold in whipped cream.
Spoon cream onto cakes.
Sprinkle with chocolate shaves and chocolate powder.

Enjoy,

     Sasha