Over-the-Top Chocolate Raspberry Dome

In bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form; beat in 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the sugar, 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Sift together flour, cocoa and salt ; set aside. In bowl, beat egg yolks with remaining sugar until mixture falls in ribbons when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Fold in egg white mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 3 additions of whites and 2 of flour. Spread in parchment paper-lined greased 17- x 11-inch (45 x 29 cm) rimmed baking sheet.

Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven until cake springs back when lightly touched, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge to loosen; let cool completely.

Chocolate Mousse: Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, bring cream to boil; pour over chocolate, whisking until smooth. Refrigerate, stirring often, until very cold, about 1 hour. Beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

Raspberry Mousse: Into large bowl, press raspberries through fine-mesh sieve; whisk in sugar. In small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 5 minutes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until dissolved.

Stir gelatin into raspberry mixture. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until consistency of raw egg whites, about 20 minutes. Whip cream; fold one-quarter into raspberry mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate until thick enough to mound on spoon, about 15 minutes.

To assemble: Line 9-inch (23 cm) diameter 10-cup (2.5 L) bowl with plastic wrap. Using straight-edge knife, cut cake lengthwise into two 2-inch (5 cm) wide strips and seven 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide strips.

Lay 2-inch (5 cm) strips, smooth side down, side by side and rim to rim in centre of bowl. Lay 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips side by side to finish lining bowl, pressing to fit snugly and trimming to edge of bowl; reserve scraps. Brush with brandy (if using).

Scrape raspberry mousse into bowl, smoothing top. Scrape chocolate mousse over top, smoothing top. Cover with remaining cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 8 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Ganache: Place chocolate in heatproof bowl. In saucepan, bring cream to boil; pour over chocolate, whisking until smooth. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

Remove plastic wrap from top of bowl; invert dome onto flat serving plate and remove remaining wrap. Drizzle with ganache, dribbling some down side. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.) Garnish with raspberries, gold flakes and sugared rose petals. Dip sharp knife in hot water and wipe dry; slice cake.

Additional information :

Sugared Rose Petals

In small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar and 1/3 cup (75 mL) water to full rolling boil. Let cool to room temperature.

Using craft brush, brush unsprayed rose petals with sugar syrup, then sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Let dry on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. (Make-ahead: Cover lightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.)