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Mock Saddle Of Venison Cake
(Rehrucken)
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"Rehrucken", a word that in German means "saddle of venison" is also used to designate an Austrian cake with a long tradition behind it. The cake is like a saddle of venison only in its shape, and for many generations, molds made in the shape of a stylized saddle of venison have been manufactured especially for making this fanciful cake. These special molds are fluted and have deep indentations down the middle. Many Austrian traditionalists still use the special mold for making "Rehrucken", but the cake can be made in a deep loaf pan. The almonds that are used to decorate the icing of the cake are meant to suggest the strips of bacon or salt pork inserted into genuine saddles of venison to lard them.
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| What You Need: |
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¼ cup bread crumbs
5 egg whites
½ cup sugar
5 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2½ tablespoons finely chopped citron
¼ pound grated almonds (about ¾ cup)
1/3 cup grated unsweetened chocolate (about 2¼ ounces)
THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
2/3 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt
1 cup sifted dark, unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blanched almonds
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| How To Cook: |
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1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F, then with a paper towel or pastry brush, lightly butter a 4-by-12-inch loaf pan or a "Rehrucken" mold and dust it heavily with bread crumbs. Invert the pan and shake it to remove the bread crumbs that do not adhere to the butter.
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2. With a wire whisk or rotary or electric beater, beat the egg whites until they foam, then beat in ¼ cup of the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the whites form stiff, unwavering peaks when the beater is lifted from the bowl.
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3. Combine the yolks, the whole eggs and the rest of the sugar in a large mixing bowl. With the same beater you used before, beat until the mixture is pale yellow and quite thick.
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4. Then beat in the cinnamon, citron, almonds and chocolate. Continue beating until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
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5. With a rubber spatula, mix about ¼ of the egg whites into the batter, then reverse the process and pour the batter over the rest of the whites. Using an over-and-under cutting motion instead of a mixing motion, fold them together until no trace of the whites remains.
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6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan or "Rehrucken" mold and bake it in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake shrinks slightly away from the sides of the pan, is golden brown and is springy to the touch.
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7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 2 or 3 minutes. (In cooling, this very delicate cake may shrink slightly or fall a bit in the center, but in neither event will its final shape be affected.)
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8. Turn the cake out on a rack, set the rack on a jelly-roll pan and let the cake cool further while you make the chocolate icing.
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THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
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1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the cream, butter, salt, cocoa and sugar. Cook the mixture over very low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until the icing is smooth and thick.
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2. Remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let the icing cool for about 5 minutes, then holding the saucepan about 2 inches above the cake, pour the icing over it evenly.
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3. Press the almonds upright into the icing about an inch apart, in a regular pattern. (Try rows of 5 or 6 almond halves across and 10 lengthwise.)
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4. Let the cake cool completely (for about 45 minutes) before serving. Slice "Rehrucken" so that one of the shorter rows of almond halves decorates each serving.
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