Hungarian cake recipe – Chocolate Mousse Cake "Rigó Jancsi"

Hungarian Cuisine | Recipes

Hungarian cake recipe : “Rigó Jancsi”

Rigó Jancsi was a famous Hungarian gypsy violinist. In 1896, while in Paris, Jancsi played for Prince Josef and Princess Klara. Fascinated by his swarthy good looks, she fell in love. Klara left her husband and children to follow Jancsi who divorced his wife. The affair didn’t last but the cake Rigo created with a confectioner in Klara’s honor did – Cake Rigó Jancsi. It remains a favorite Hungarian sweet.

 Hungarian cake recipe : “Rigó Jancsi” – makes 16 slices / takes 60 minutes

SPONGE CAKE: 3 tbsp cocoa powder • 6 tbsp sugar • 6 eggs, separated • pinch of salt • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour.

FILLING: 2 cups thick cream • 450 g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped • 4 tbsp gelatine powder • 300 g butter • ¾ cup icing sugar

GLAZE: 450 g unsweetened chocolate, chopped • 1 cup unsalted butter

FOR THE CAKE: Heat oven to 180 °C. Coat the bottom of 2 (23 cm) round pans with butter. In a bowl, cream 1 cup butter with 3 tbsp sugar until light and fluffy. Add cocoa powder and beat in egg yolks one at a time. Beat egg whites and pinch salt until whites cling to the beater. Add remaining 3 tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Lighten the cocoa mixture by stirring in 1/3 of the whites. Then, carefully, fold in the remaining whites. Sprinkle the flour, a pinch of salt over the batter and, carefully, fold it in without decreasing the volume. Separate the batter into 2 equal parts. Pour into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes, or until cakes start to pull away from the sides. Do not over bake. FOR THE FILLING beat cream until stiff.

Pour gelatine powder in ½ cup water. Rest it for 15 minutes then warm up until the water absorbs all the powder. Melt 450 g chocolate in a bowl. Mix melted chocolate, gelatine, soft foamy butter and sugar. Whip the filling until volume has doubled. Spread the filling over the cake and top with the other. FOR THE GLAZE melt the chocolate and butter in bowl. Holding the glaze 5 cm above the cake, pour evenly, using a spatula to cover the sides. Decorate with ground chocolate and whipped cream. Refrigerate 5 hours. Cut into 16 slices.