Chocolate Torte
Another chocolate concoction! This one takes a while to make (though most of it is downtime). Also, it is super important to fully and completely butter and sugar the sides of the pan!!! The cake rises first and then settles back down, but if the sides aren't buttered and sugared, it'll stick to the pan rather than settle, leaving you with a big air bubble rather than a nice dense moist cake. Yeah, I figured this one out the hard way :) From The Silver Palate Cookbook.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (16 oz) best quality bittersweet chocolate (I like valrhona or ghirardelli)
- 14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 10 eggs, separated, room temperature*
- 1/4 cup framboise or liqueur of choice
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Break chocolate into small pieces. Melt with the butter over a double boiler.** Stir in 1 cup of sugar and heat until dissolved, roughly 3 minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks until blended. Beat in one cup of the chocolate mixture to lighten, then add that back to the double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in framboise and vanilla. Preheat oven to 275°. Butter and lightly sugar a 9” springform pan. Beat egg whites until just beginning to stiffen. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until peaks are stiff and glossy. Gently fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Pour into pan. Bake until cake is firm, about 3 hours. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until cold.
- This cake goes extremely well with either a fruit puree or with a creme anglaise. It’s well worth the time for a crowd pleaser. And because the chocolate is the star of the show, it’s worth splurging on the good stuff - bad quality chocolate will really show in this cake.