Kahlua Rum Syrup 
4 ounces (1/2 cup) Simple Syrup (recipe below) combined with 2 tablespoons Kahlua and 2 tablespoons dark rum 

Simple Syrup 

1 pound (2 cups) sugar
1 pint (2 cups) water

Heat sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and let boil for 5 minutes. If adding flavoring, do so after the syrup has cooled. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, tightly covered. Makes 2 cups. 

Hazelnuts 
4 ounces (2/3 cup) hazelnuts 

Chocolate Ganache 
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft
2 ounces (1/2 cup) confectioners' sugar
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
8 ounces (1 cup) milk 

Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 ounces (1/4 cup) corn oil 

Cake layers - Rich Chocolate Almond Sponge Cake and Coffee Genoise: Make sheet cakes according to the recipes and let cool. Then, assemble.

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RICH CHOCOLATE-ALMOND SPONGE CAKE 

(Half Sheet Cake) 
7 eggs, large
7 ounces (3/4 cup) generous sugar
6 ounces (1 1/4 cup) scant all-purpose flour
3 ounces (3/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 ounce (1/3 cup) almond meal (see below)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm 

Almond Meal 
Most supermarkets carry blanched slivered almonds. To make the almond meal, just measure the required amount for the recipe, and grind to a powdered consistency. 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 12-by-17-by-1-inch (half) sheet cake pan with baking parchment. 

Place eggs in bowl of electric mixer and pour sugar on top, beating vigorously by hand with a wire whisk. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water; the water must not touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk until the egg-sugar mixture is warm to the touch, at 100 F. Remove bowl from heat and place on mixer stand. Beat mixture well with wire whip at medium speed until it cools and forms a complete emulsion, about 10 minutes. The batter should increase greatly in volume and become very pale in color, and will fall from a spatula in a slowly dissolving ribbon. Remove bowl from stand. 

Sift the flour, cocoa, almond meal, and baking powder together onto a sheet of wax paper. Fold lightly into batter. Pour the lukewarm butter around the edge of bowl and quickly fold in. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cake feels springy to the touch. Unmold onto rack, peel off paper after 1 minute, and let cool. Makes one 17-by-12-inch sheet cake. 

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COFFEE GENOISE 
(Half Sheet Cake) 

5 eggs, large
5 ounces (2/3 cup) scant sugar
1 ounce (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder
1 tablespoon boiling water
5 ounces (1 cup) scant all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a 12-by-17-by-1 inch (half) sheet cake pan with baking parchment. 

Place eggs in bowl of electric mixer and pour sugar on top, beating vigorously with a wire whisk. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water; the water must not touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk until the egg-sugar mixture is warm to the touch, at 100 F. Remove bowl from heat and place on mixer stand. Beat mixture well with wire whip at medium speed until it cools and forms a complete emulsion, about 10 minutes. The batter should increase greatly in volume and become very pale in color, and will fall from a spatula in a slowly dissolving ribbon. Remove bowl from stand. 

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Dissolve the espresso coffee powder in 1 tablespoon boiling water and add to butter. Cool to lukewarm by placing pan in cold water. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into batter. Pour the butter-coffee mixture around the edge of bowl and quickly fold in. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cake feels springy to the touch. Unmold onto rack, peel off paper after 1 minute, and let cool. 

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TO TOAST THE HAZELNUTS 

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread nuts out on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour onto a clean kitchen towel and rub nuts together to remove skins. Reserve 18 nuts for top of cake and coarsely chop the remainder. 

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TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE - Makes a perfect icing and filling

Beat butter and confectioner's sugar together until light and creamy, and set aside. Cut chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl. Bring milk to a boil and pour over chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool. While still liquid, beat in the butter-sugar mixture. 

TO ASSEMBLE CAKE: 

Set first layer on a cardboard cake square large enough to hold it. Set on a wire cake rack set over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the Chocolate Almond Sponge Cake layer generously with Kahlua-rum syrup. Spread with half the chocolate ganache and sprinkle with half the toasted and chopped hazelnuts. Lay coffee-flavored layer on top and brush well with syrup. Spread remaining ganache, saving two teaspoons for securing nuts on top of the cake. Freeze cake for two hours. Return the cake to refrigerator to thaw completely, about 1 hour.

FINAL ASSEMBLY - TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

Cut chocolate into small pieces, place in bowl, melt over hot water. Stir in corn oil. Remove cake from freezer and quickly pour liquid glaze over the top, covering the hazelnuts, and tilting the cake to let the glaze run. The extra glaze will accumulate in the pan.

Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes to set.

Lift cake on cardboard to serving plate and allow it to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Cut with a hot knife. 

recipes from desires.com.