Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°C (approximately 350°F).

For the cake batter, separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks, water, sugar and orange zest until creamy. Beat the egg whites with the vanilla sugar until stiff. Mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Finely grate the chocolate and add to the flour mixture. Gradually add the egg yolk mixture and egg whites to the dry ingredients.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set the 3 cake rings on top and distribute the batter equally between the three rings. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove from the cake rings and cool completely. Cut each cake into 4 floors.

Mix the jam, rum, juice and powdered sugar. Brush the mixture onto each of the cake floors.

For the filling, bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Chop the chocolate and add to the milk, stirring constantly while it dissolves. Bring back up to a boil.

Stir the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Stir in the cornstarch. Gradually add the hot chocolate milk and stir. Pour everything back into the pot and bring back up to a boil, stirring constantly. Let the mixture cool.

Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Stir in the chocolate cream one spoonful at a time. Reassemble each cake with a cream layer between each floor, leaving the top layer uncovered. Replace the cake rings and chill the cakes, allowing the cream to solidify.

For the garnish, remove the cake rings. Bring the apricot jam and orange marmalade to a boil. Brush each cake with the mixture and let dry for at least 30 minutes.

For the icing, carefully melt the dark chocolate with the butter over a hot water bath of 32°C (approximately 90°F). Coat each cake with the icing.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the cake rings in the size of the finished cakes on top. Cut the decorate sheet in wavy stripes with a straight side.

Carefully melt the whole milk chocolate coating. Place the decorative sheet on the baking sheet and pour the chocolate on top, spreading thinly. Place the chocolate drizzle around the cake rings and fasten with tape and/or paper clips until the chocolate has set.

To finish, mount the largest cake on the cake plate and pierce with 4-6 skewers about halfway down into the cake. Place the medium size cake on top. Similarily fasten the smallest cake on top. Remove the chocolate drizzle from the baking paper and place around the edges.