Chocolate Cake (Romanian Amandine)

Amandine is a traditional Romanian chocolate cake that's filled either with chocolate or almond cream. The cake has four components - the sponge cake, the syrup, the filling, and the glaze. The sponge cake is made with eggs, sugar, water, flour, oil, and cocoa, the filling (chocolate buttercream) consists of eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and cocoa, the syrup is made with water, sugar, and rum, and the glaze is made with chocolate and whipping cream. Of course, there are many recipes for this cake, so the ingredients may vary in some cases. Amandina has been popular in Romanian confectioneries ever since the 1960s, and it's usually decorated with a bit of the cream and a thin, diamond-shaped chocolate piece on top.

Sponge Cake:
sugar (260 g)
8 eggs
water (40 mL)
oil (50 mL)
cocoa (30 g)
all-purpose flour, unbleached (150 g)

Filling:
4 eggs
sugar (200 g)
unsalted butter, at room temperature (330 g)
2.5 Tbsp. cocoa

Syrup:
water (400 mL)
sugar (200 g)
2 Tbsp. cappuccino

Chocolate Glaze:
chocolate (250 g)
whipping cream (150 mL)

For the Sponge cake:
Beat egg whites and water with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and beat until dissolved. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and oil. Fold in the egg yolks. Combine the flour and cocoa. Slow down the mixer and carefully blend in the flour and cocoa mix until it’s combined. Preheat oven to 180°C and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until brown (you can insert a toothpick in the centre and if it comes out clean then its ready).

For the Filling:
Beat the eggs and the sugar in a bowl over a pot of boiling water until thick and creamy. Then add half of the cocoa and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Cream the butter and add remaining cocoa. Combine with the chilled egg mixture.

For the Syrup:
Combine water and sugar and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add cappuccino and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Assembly:
Place the cake (bottom side up) onto your work surface. Let it cool and then cut the cake horizontally in half. Moist each part with the cappuccino syrup. Using a spatula, evenly cover the top of the first layer with the cocoa filling. Place the second layer on top. Cut into squares.

Glazing the cake:
To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate and whipping cream in small saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir continuously until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it becomes warm and has a pouring consistency.

Pour the glaze onto the center of each square and carefully spread it to the edges of the cake. You can decorate with chocolate or some whipped cream. Just be creative.