Chocolate Stollen Cake

Ingredients

• 6 Eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• 150 g sugar
• 100 g flour
• 50 g cornstarch
• sugar (for dusting)
• 150 g dark chocolate
• 20 ml rum
• 2 Eggs
• 40 g sugar
• 150 ml whipping cream
• 400 g marzipan dough
• 50 g powdered sugar (for working)
• food coloring (red, green and yellow)
• 50 g toasted almond flakes
• 60 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 220°C with fan and top heat.

2. 2.

   Separate the eggs for the sponge. Beat the egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form. Whisk the yolks with sugar until thick and creamy. Fold the beaten whites into the yolk mixture, sift in flour and cornstarch, and gently fold everything together. Spread the batter evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 12 minutes. Transfer to a kitchen towel dusted with sugar, remove the parchment but let it cool on the cake.

3. 3.

   Cut out a shoe shape from cardboard of an appropriate size and use it as a stencil. Place it on the cake base and cut two shoes.

4. 4.

   For the filling, chop the chocolate coarsely and melt it with rum over a double boiler. Remove from heat. Separate the eggs again; beat the yolks with half the sugar over the double boiler until creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate, remove from heat and whisk quickly into ice water to cool. Whip the cold cream stiffly. Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar into stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream onto the chocolate mixture, then fold in the meringue gently. Transfer the filling into a piping bag with a smooth nozzle.

5. 5.

   Place one shoe on a cake plate or stand and pipe the filling over it. Place the second shoe on top and press lightly to set.

6. 6.

   Knead the marzipan with some powdered sugar until pliable, take small amounts for stars and ribbons. Color the rest bright red and roll into 3 mm thick sheets. Using the stencil cut another shoe and place it on the cake.

7. 7.

   Smooth the edge with a palette knife and sprinkle with almonds.

8. 8.

   Color the remaining marzipan green or yellow, roll thinly, cut out stars or ribbon shapes with a pastry grid. Place ribbons on the top of the second shoe and press lightly.

9. 9.

   Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice to make a piping glaze. Fill a piping bag and decorate the shoe edges as desired.

10. 10.

    Top with stars and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.