Amandina cake with cocoa fondant

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 7 tablespoons sugar
• 50 ml water
• 5 eggs
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon oil for the tin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 250 g flour
• 5 g baking powder

For the syrup

• 250 g sugar
• 400 ml water
• 1 teaspoon rum essence

For the cream

• 3 egg yolks
• 170 g sugar
• 30 ml milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 teaspoon rum essence
• 200 g softened butter

For the fondant

• 250 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 75 ml water
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cocoa

For the water baths and cooling the fondant

• 500 ml water
• 500 ml cold water
• 500 ml hot water

For decoration

• 150 ml sweetened whipping cream
• 4 wafer flowers
• 10 g chocolate flakes
• 10 g chopped chocolate

Preparation

1. Caramelize 5 tablespoons of the sugar for the sponge in a small saucepan, about 3 minutes, until it turns amber. Pour in 50 ml of water, boil for 3 minutes until the caramel dissolves, then leave the syrup to cool for 10 minutes. 2. Separate the eggs. Mix the yolks with the oil and caramel syrup. Beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat; fold in the yolk mixture, then the flour and baking powder, using a spatula and folding from the bottom up. 3. Pour the batter into a 22 cm springform tin greased with 1 teaspoon of oil and lined with baking paper. Bake at 180°C for 32 minutes, until nicely browned. Leave the sponge in the tin for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edge and remove it. Leave it to cool completely, about 45 minutes. 4. For the syrup, caramelize the sugar for 4 minutes, until golden, then add the water and boil for another 4 minutes, until the caramel melts. Leave it to cool for 15 minutes, then add the rum essence. 5. Bring 500 ml of water to a boil in a saucepan for the water bath. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar and milk in a small saucepan set over it, without touching the water; cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the cocoa and rum essence, then cook for another 2 minutes, until incorporated. Leave the cream to cool for 30 minutes. Beat the softened butter and gradually beat in the cooled cream. 6. Cut the sponge into three layers. Set the cake ring on a serving plate, add the first layer and soak it with a third of the syrup. Spread over half the cream, then add the second layer and another third of the syrup. Add the remaining cream, place the final layer on top and soak it. Refrigerate the cake for 180 minutes, until set. 7. For the fondant, put the sugar, vanilla sugar and water in a heavy-based saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then add the honey and boil for another 9 minutes. Check the syrup by dropping the last drop into a cup with 500 ml of cold water: it should hold its shape like a pearl. Take the pan off the heat, set it in a bowl with 500 ml of cold water and cover it with a damp towel for 2 minutes. Remove the towel and stir for about 5 minutes, until the fondant thickens and lightens in color. Add the cocoa and stir until incorporated. To thin it, warm the pan in a small saucepan with 500 ml of hot water for about 2 minutes; you can add a little water if it has dried out too much. 8. Take the cake out of the refrigerator and loosen it from the ring with a knife. Remove the ring, level the sides and spread the fondant with a spoon, working from the center outward. If any uneven spots remain, smooth them with a spoon dipped in hot water. Beat the cream for about 3 minutes, until it holds its shape on the whisk, and decorate the cake with it, the wafer flowers, the chocolate flakes and the chopped chocolate.