Chocolate Genoese Cake

Ingredients:
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1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 squares (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate
6 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Espresso Butter cream

Instructions:
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Grease and lightly flour two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans. In a
saucepan melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often; set
aside.

In a large mixer bowl combine eggs, sugar and vanilla. Set bowl over
(not touching) 1 to 2 inches of hot (not boiling) water in a large
saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or till lukewarm.

Remove from heat; remove bowl from saucepan. Beat with an electric mixer on high sped about 15 minutes or till nearly tripled in volume.

Gently fold in flour, 1/3 cup at a time. Gradually fold in chocolate
mixture. Spread evenly in prepared pans. Bake in a 350F oven 25 to 30 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans; cool.

Meanwhile, prepare Espresso Butter cream. Fill and frost cake with
Espresso Butter cream. Pipe chocolate butter cream around the edge of cake.

Espresso Butter cream:
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6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
4 tsp instant espresso coffee powder
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled

Instructions:
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Beat egg yolk with electric mixer till thick and lemon colored; set
aside. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, water, and coffee powder; bring to boiling, stirring till dissolved. Cook over medium high heat. Stir constantly, till mixture reaches solt-ball stage (236F).

Quickly pour the hot mixture in a steady stream over yolks, beating
constantly on high speed. Continue beating till mixture is thick and
smooth. Cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the unsalted butter till light and fluffy. Beat butter,
1 tablespoon at at time, into cool yolk mixture. Cover and chill for 30
minutes or until stiff enough to spread. Stir semisweet chocolate
pieces into 1/2 cup of the butter cream.