Chocolate torte with chocolate curls

Preparation:

1. Combine egg with sugar and beat for approx. 7 minutes until frothy. Fold flour and cocoa powder under. Pour dough into a greased or lined spring form pan and bake approx. 7 to 10 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C. Remove pastry from the pan and place upon a cake platter. Sprinkle espresso and chocolate liqueur over the warm pastry.
2. Soak gelatine sheets in cold water (alternative: prepare powdered gelatine according to package instructions). Coarsely chop chocolate and melt pieces in a water bath together with chocolate liqueur and espresso. Remove from stove. Drain gelatine and dissolve in hot chocolate.
3. Separate eggs, combine egg yolks with vanilla sugar and beat until frothy and the sugar has dissolved. Whip well-chilled cream until stiff. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, then slowly add sugar while continuing to beat. Add egg yolk mixture to the slightly cooled chocolate and blend with a whisk. Add whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and quickly combine with a whisk (sets very rapidly). Carefully fold egg whites under.
4. Place a cake ring around the pastry layer. Spread chocolate mousse evenly over the top of the pastry, sprinkle with cocoa. Chill cake in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
5. Melt baking chocolate in a hot water bath and pour onto a marble slab, spreading it thinly. As soon as the chocolate begins to harden, scrape off curls using a spatula. Carefully garnish cake with the chocolate curls, dust with cocoa powder (sieve) and serve well chilled. 

Click here for more information on cooking and baking with gelatine.