Potluck at the Pedernales

Grandma Hudson's Dream Cake

This recipe comes from my mother's grandmother, my great-grandmother Hudson, who passed it down to my grandmother, my mother, and now me. This old-fashioned trifle, or "ice-box cake" as my mother calls it, is very similar to a tiramisu, or a chocolate Charlotte. It was always the favorite dessert for my brother and me on our holiday tables. My grandmother Hudson claims she used to prepare this dish in ice cube trays, making it a loaf. However, I prefer to serve it in a fancy bowl.

3 oz dark bittersweet chocolate

1é2 cup granulated sugar

1é3 cup cointreau, gran marnier, or other strong, orange-flavored liquor

1é8 cup water

4 eggs, separated

1 stick butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 packages lady fingers

1é2 pint heavy cream

In a double boiler, or on very low heat, melt the chocolate with the cointreau, 1é3 cup granulated sugar, and water. Allow to cool. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate mixture. In another bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together; then add to the chocolate and egg mixture. Then beat the egg whites until fluffy and soft peaks form when the beater is removed from them. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture.

Line a fancy bowl or a trifle bowl with the lady fingers so that they completely cover the bottom and sides. If desired, sprinkle the lady fingers with a little cointreau or Gran Marnier for extra flavor. Pour the chocolate mousse mixture onto the lady fingers. Whip the cream with the remaining sugar and spread that over the chocolate. Place the cake in the refrigerator and allow to set for at least 4 hours before serving.

Wes Marshall's Recommended Wine: Quady Elektra Orange Muscat, $6.99

Desserts are always a challenge to pair with wine. If the wine isn't extremely sweet, the dessert will make the wine taste sour. That said, the cointreau in Rachel's dessert cried out for Orange Muscat. Quady's has a slight orange and toasted coconut aroma that allies nicely to her Granny's cake. We recommend that you enjoy a glass of the wine before serving the cake. That way, the wine will give a perfect intro to the yummy dessert.