This cake is composed of many thin layers, sandwiched with chocolate cream and covered in caramel icing.

Layers:

6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 cup flour

Beat egg yolks and sugar until fluffy. Add flour; blend well. Fold in egg whites. Bake in eight to twelve well-greased and floured layer-cake pans or spread even circles of batter 8 inches in diameter on baking sheet. Bake in 300°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from pans while warm. Cool. Set one layer aside for top.

Chocolate Cream:

1 1/2 cups butter
4 1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk

Beat butter until creamy. Add melted chocolate. Beat in sugar and egg yolk, beating until fluffy. Cool in refrigerator.

Spread this chocolate mixture between bottom layers. Stack layers and trim borders/crusts. Cover top layer with caramel icing.

Caramel Icing:

3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup hazelnuts

Melt and brown sugar in skillet, stirring constantly. Butter a wooden board 1 inch wider than cake. Place top layer of cake on board; pour caramel icing over.

While warm, cut this top layer with buttered knife into equal segments. Place all segments on top of cake.

Spread remaining chocolate cream over sides of cake and sprinkle with sliced hazelnuts.

Submitted by: CM