Lucky Marzipan Pig Champagne Torte

Make the Champagne Torte:

1. Place the vanilla pudding powder into a small bowl.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat the milk, champagne and 1/4 cup of the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over the vanilla pudding powder.  Whisk out any lumps.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic cling film.  Place in the refrigerator to cool it to room temperature.

4. Separate the eggs. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer whip together the egg whites. Add a pinch of salt to stabilize them. 

5. When the whites become foamy, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9″ springform pan with baking paper and grease the paper and sides of the pan with vegetable shortening.

7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
8. In another separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
9. Fold the beaten egg yolks into the egg white mixture, then fold in the dry ingredients until everything is evenly combined.
10. Spread the mixture evenly out into the prepared springform pan. Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.
    
11. Remove the pan from the oven. Let stand for 5 minutes then remove the cake base from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
12. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Remove the chilled champagne pudding from the refrigerator and add it to the butter/sugar mixture a little at a time. Occasionally stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

13. Use a large serrated knife to cut the cooled cake in half lengthwise, NOT into half-moon shapes. You should have two large, even sized round cake circles that are very thin in height.

14. Place one circle on a serving plate. If you have a torte ring, place it around the cake. If you don’t have a torte ring, use the ring from the springform pan.

15. Spread 3/4 of the champagne pudding over the top of the cake. Place the second cake circle on top of the pudding layer.
16. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the pudding and spread the rest on top of the second cake layer.
17. Place in the refrigerator and let stand for 3 hours.

Make the Marzipan Pig Face

1. Pinch off a small portion of the marzipan. Roll it out and cut out two 1+1/2 inch circles or ovals. Set aside.
2. Pinch off another small portion of the marzipan and tint with black food coloring. Roll out the black marzipan and cut four half inch circles, two for pupils, two for nostrils. Set aside.
3. Tint the remaining marzipan pink and roll it out into a circle.

4. Use the springform pan or the parchment circle as a guide to cut out a 10″ circle in parchment paper. Place the parchment circle on top of the pink marzipan and use a sharp knife to cut out a circle.

   
5. Use a large pastry knife or a spatula to transfer the large circle to the parchment paper.
6. Roll out the scraps and cut out another 2-3” in diameter circle 1/4 inch thick for the nose and place it in the middle of the large pink circle.
7. Position the eyes, pupils, and nostrils on the pig’s face.
   
8. Use the scraps to form the ears – roll out two even triangles and fold them over. Place them at 11 and 1 o’clock positions on the upper part of the large pink circle.
9. Use your hands or cutters to form or horseshoe, lucky clover and the numbers for the year with the rest of the scraps. and place them on parchment paper.

10. Dip the brush into the vodka or clear drinking alcohol and then into the dust and carefully paint the dust onto the marzipan.

11. When dry, transfer them to the pig face, decorating the face as you like. Use shortening as glue.

Assemble the Torte:

1. Retrieve the torte from the refrigerator. Run a pastry knife around the sides of the torte and Remove the torte ring.

2. Use a pastry knife or brush to cover the sides of the torte with the remaining champagne pudding.

3. Carefully press the sides of the torte with sprinkles or sugar glitter. 

4. Carefully slide the finished large lucky pig face from the parchment paper to the top of the torte and serve.

1. If you are using almond flour, skip the next two steps.

2. **To blanch raw almonds, boil them for one minute. Rinse immediately in a colander with cold water. Squeeze the skins off with your fingers. They will slip off easily.

3. Pulse the blanched almonds and a tablespoon of powdered sugar in a food processor until completely pulverized. The powdered sugar will prevent the almonds from becoming a paste.

4. Add the almond flour and powdered sugar to the food processor and pulse until combined. I like to take out the blade and use a whisk to break up any lumps. Replace the blade and pulse a few more times.

5. Add the pure almond extract and the rosewater and pulse until combined.

6. Add the egg white and pulse until the mixture becomes smooth.

7. Remove the mixture from the processor. If it is too wet and sticky, sprinkle powdered sugar over the mixture a little at a time. Knead it in and make the marzipan stiffer. If the mixture is too dry, knead in a few drops of the light corn syrup.

8. Wrap tightly in plastic cling film. Store in a ziplock bag.