Piskóta with Walnuts

I've been in a mood, frustrated that we keep eating the same things over and over again. So I'm taking it out...on Shabbat desserts. A few weeks ago, we were browsing through an "Ultimate Cakes" cookbook that my friend gave me, and found this fantastic-looking Hungarian cake with walnuts and rum. According to the cookbook:

This sponge cake was brought into the Hungarian court of King Matthias in the late 15th century, after he married Princess Beatrix, the daughter of the king of Naples. This piskota is made as a roulade and flavored with walnuts.

And by the way, this recipe, minus the rum, could be used for Pesach.

Piskota with Walnuts

from the Ultimate Cake (p. 68) and adapted as a pareve kosher recipe by yours truly

For the cake:

4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tsp rum
3/4 cup walnut pieces, finely chopped (I pureed them in the food processor)

For the filling:
1 1/4 cups pareve whipping cream
1 Tbs rum
2 Tbs granulated sugar

For the decoration:
7 oz seisweet chocolate
walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 350F.
Use a 15x10.75 jelly roll pan, greased and lined (I used parchment paper and cooking spray)

1. For the cake, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale, thick and doubled in volume. Dissolve the instant coffee in the rum and whisk into the egg yolk mixture.


2. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks. Carefully fold the walnut pieces into the egg yolk mixture, followed by the egg whites, taking care not to deflate the whites.


3. Pour the mixture into prepared pan. Lighly level the surface, making sure the corners are filled. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned and soft and springy to the touch.


4. Remove from the oven and invert onto a sheet of waxed paper sprinkled with granulated sugar (always sprinkle liberally when making a rolled cake). Cover with a slightly damp dish towel and leave to cool.


5. For the filling, whip the cream, rum and guar into soft peaks. Remove the cloth from the roulade and peel off the lining paper. Spread the cream over the roulade (leaving about 1" on either end) and roll. (If you've never done this before, do a search online to see how it is done. It isn't difficult, but you need to do it carefully.)


6. For the decoration, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over the roulade with a narrow spatula. Let cool slightly (about 10-15 min), then swirl gently with a fork to create a design. Sprinkle over the walnut pieces and let set before serving.


7. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until you use.