A few weeks ago we heard a very sad story from Bonnie Meinzer: She had splurged on a bottle of Grand Marnier, which is fairly pricey, in order to add it to a special cake recipe.

But horror of horrors, she discovered the recipe had gone missing! So she wrote to us, having confidence that with our record for tracking down elusive recipes, we would find one for her.
Last week we found a fuzzy navel cake that would probably work very well, but ...

Bonnie, today is your lucky day! We have not one, but two Grand Marnier cake recipes, and each is from a celebrated local chef. Mary Cody of Traditions Restaurant in Onalaska serves what I’m told is a prize-winning Chocolate Grand Marnier cake. Marla French e-mailed to me the information that Mary’s recipe was featured in the September 2007 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. So I did a little Web searching and sure enough, there it was.

Nancy Jorgensen shared the second one, which she says was in the Tribune a while ago and came from local chef and fellow columnist John Haverty. These are fairly long recipes, so in order to be sure there is enough space for them, I’ll try to be brief today.

We are still working on requests from a couple of anonymous friends. The first requested the roast beef dressing recipe used by St. Peter’s Church in Hokah, Minn., at its annual roast beef dinner.

The other sent two requests: one for a sponge-type cake (that the writer saw on Food TV) made in a bamboo steamer and covered with a thick sauce and the other for an old German cake (similar to cheese cake) made with dry cottage cheese.

Karen Bichel of La Crosse also sent a dual request: creamy chicken and artichoke soup and Olive Garden’s Italian salad dressing. Pat M. of La Crosse wants sugar-free recipes. She didn’t specify, but most likely she is looking for desserts.

Send requests, recipes and tips to Alice P. Clark at: Reader Exchange, c/o La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St., La Crosse, WI 54601; e-mail: exchange@lacrossetribune.com or send a fax to (608) 782-9723.

Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 large eggs, separated

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Icing:

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, room temperature

2/3 cup whipping cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10-inch diameter springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper round. Stir chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, Grand Marnier, orange peel and vanilla. Stir in lukewarm chocolate. Add flour and salt; stir to blend. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared springform pan. Bake cake until top is dry and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (top will fall slightly). Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely; cover and let stand at room temperature.

For icing: Place chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Run thin knife around inside of cake pan; remove pan sides. Invert cake onto 10-inch removable tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Place on rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Remove cake pan bottom and parchment. Pour icing over cake and spread to cover top and sides (any icing that drips onto baking sheet can be reused). Chill until glaze sets, about 30 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Cut into wedges and serve.

(September 2007 Bon Appetit magazine; Mary Cody, Traditions Restaurant)

Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

Zest of 4 oranges

7 large eggs (yolks and whites separated) at room temperature

4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 cup minus 2 tablespoons flour

Pinch of sea salt

Icing:

2/3 cup heavy cream

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

7 ounces clarified butter, at room temperature

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch baking form and line its bottom with parchment paper. In double boiler, melt chocolate; allow to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale yellow in color. Add orange zest, egg yolks and Grand Marnier; mix together. Pour melted chocolate into the mixture. Add flour and blend; set aside. Whisk egg whites with salt until they reach stiff peaks. Carefully fold whites into chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into baking pan and bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert cake onto cooling rack; cool 10 minutes and apply icing.

Icing: Bring cream to a simmer over high heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate; stir until chocolate melts and is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Add clarified butter and blend well. Frost immediately. Serve with vanilla gelato. Drizzle with raspberry coulis and garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaf.

(From John Haverty, certified executive chef, Franciscan Skemp Medical Center; shared by Nancy Jorgensen)

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