CAPUCHIN TORTE - KAPUZINERTORTE

Cake: (12 servings)
5 eggs
200 g/7 oz sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp lemon juice
180 g/6.3 oz all-purpose flour
100 g/3.5 oz cornstarch
8 g/0.3 oz baking powder
200 g/7 oz unsalted butter, melted
100 g/3.5 oz kirsch liqueur (if using kirsch schnapps, add some sugar)
2 tbsp water
100 g/3.5 oz semisweet chocolate

Buttercreme:
63 g/2.2 oz unsalted butter
63 g/2.2 oz vegetable shortening
27 g/1 oz powdered sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
200 g meringues, chopped
10 g/0.4 oz cocoa powder (or leftover chocolate scrapings from the melting bowl)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line bottom of a springform pan (26 cm/10.2 inch diameter) with parchment paper. Grease sides with butter.
Bring water in a pan to a simmer. Place a metal bowl with the eggs, sugar, salt and lemon juice over the simmering water. With a hand held mixer beat eggs at high speed until warm (but not boiling!). Remove bowl from heat, and continue beating mixture until lukewarm.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, starch and baking powder. Fold flour into egg mixture, then, slowly, add liquid butter.
Pour capuchin batter into springform pan and bake cake for about 30 minutes. Place cake on a rack and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate over low heat or in the microwave. Remove torte from springform pan, turn it upside down and peel off parchment paper. Brush bottom with chocolate, let dry completely.
Mix kirsch liqueur with water. Brush repeatedly over top and sides of cake. Let sit for several hours or overnight.
For the buttercream, with a hand held mixer, cream together butter and shortening until foamy. Alternately add powdered sugar and eggs and beat at high speed until foamy. Add vanilla extract and mix well. With a spatula, spread buttercream over torte.
Sprinkle capuchin torte with chopped meringue, sprinkle with cocoa or chocolate scrapings and serve.

Tip for a richer buttercream experience:
Cut torte horizontally in halves and brush both halves with kirsch. Prepare double the amount of buttercream. Spread frosting first over top of both layers, assemble torte and frost sides also.