White Mousse Cake

Los Angeles Times Cookbook Store-bought genoise or plain sponge, angel food or pound cake may be substituted. Created by: John Sedlar, St. Estephe, Manhattan Beach, Calif. Genoise: 6 eggs, separated 3/4 C sugar 1/4 C flour 2 T vanilla or 2 t vanilla Mousse: 1 C sugar 1 C lemon juice 1 C water Peel of 3 oranges, 3 grapefruits and 3 lemons, shredded 1 lb white chocolate 3 C whipping cream 1/2 C pine nuts, chopped or whole Powdered sugar Grease, flour and line

bottom of 15 1/2- x 10 1/2-inch jellyroll pan with waxed paper. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until mixture falls in ribbon when beaters are lifted. Stir in 1/4 cup flour and vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into yolk mixture. Turn into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake at 350F 20 minutes. Cool. To make mousse, combine 1 cup sugar, lemon juice and water in saucepan. Add citrus peels and cook until tender. Drain peel, reserve syrup for another use. Using half of chocolate, make chocolate curls with vegetable peeler. Place curls on waxed paper-lined tray and freeze to harden. Meanwhile, melt remaining chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water. Cool. Whip cream until stiff. Alternately fold half of chocolate, alf of peel and half of pine nuts into cream. Add remaining melted chocolate, half of remaining peel and half of remaining pine nuts until incorporated into cream. Cut genoise crosswise into 4 equal rectangular layers, (If using purchased loaf cake, split into 4 layers.) Spread some of white chocolate mousse on first layer. Top with

another cake layer. Spread with more mousse. Repeat with next 2 layers, spreading mousse over top and sides. Cover top and sides with frozen chocolate curls. Delicately place reserved peel and nuts over chocolate curls. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (C) 1992 The Los Angeles Times =====