Serves 12
1/4 cup raspberry-flavored gelatin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound white chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 (9-inch) white cake round (see recipe below)
White chocolate curls, for decoration
FOR THE MOUSSE: Line
10-cup-capacity mixing bowl with plastic wrap. Bring liqueur to simmer
in small saucepan. Stir in gelatin and salt until dissolved; remove from
heat. Microwave 8 ounces white chocolate and ½ cup heavy cream in
medium bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted and
mixture is smooth, about 1½ minutes. Stir in gelatin mixture and let
cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Whip remaining 1½ cups cream
with electric mixer until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Gently fold
one-third of whipped cream into cooled white chocolate mixture. Fold in
remaining whipped cream until incorporated. Scrape one-third of mousse
into prepared bowl and stud with raspberries. Repeat twice with
remaining mousse and berries. Place inverted cake round on top of
mousse, trimming cake to fit if necessary. Cover with plastic and chill
until mousse is set, about 4 hours (and up to 24 hours).
TO ASSEMBLE: Turn out bombe onto large cake platter. Remove plastic. Microwave remaining 8 ounces chopped chocolate in bowl until melted and gently spread over mousse and cake. Press chocolate curls into white chocolate. Cut cake with warm knife and serve.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS: Use a vegetable peeler to peel curls
off of a large block of chocolate. (Large blocks of chocolate make
nicer shavings than thin
bars of chocolate.)
White Layer Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake round
1 1/8 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting pans
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7/8 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, dust with flour, and tap pan to remove excess flour. Mix milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in 2-cup measuring cup.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl of electric mixer at low speed. Add butter and beat at low speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
Add all but 1/4 cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
Pour batter in to prepared cake pan and using rubber
spatula, spread into even layer. Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean, 21 to 25 minutes.
Rest cake in pans 3 minutes, then loosen from sides of pan with a
knife. Invert onto large plate, reinvert onto wire racks. Cool
completely, about 1 1/2 hours.