Just in Time for Torte!

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

As I looked for recipes to try in my new silicone bakeware, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Torte.  I love chocolate and raspberries, so I had to try it!

And the silicone bakeware worked magnificently!  The cakes literally just slid out of the pans!  Perfect cakes without the hassle of sticking and breaking!

Time is very important in baking, perhaps even more-so than in cooking.  Over bake and cakes dry out.  Under bake and cakes are, well, not done.  So today's song is "Just in Time" sung by Dean Martin.

The recipe below is my adaption of a Cook's Illustrated recipe.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE

CAKE
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
12 Tbl. butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla (real, not imitation!)
2 cups sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
5 eggs
3/4 cup sugar

FILLING
12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup seedless raspberry jelly, heated until runny

GLAZE
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, chopped
1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup and 1 Tbl. heavy cream

GARNISH
16 full raspberries, set aside

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and put the oven rack in the middle.  Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper and grease the paper.  If using silicone pans, spray with vegetable spray.

Melt the 4 oz. of semi-sweet and 4 oz. of unsweetened baking chocolates in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on power 3.  Take out and stir.  Put in for another minute and 30 seconds.  The chocolate should be mostly melted.  Add the butter and put in microwave for another 30 seconds.  Stir the butter and chocolate together.  When combined, add vanilla.

Pulse 1 cup of sliced almonds coarsely in a food processor.  Set aside.

Put the rest of the almonds in the food processor and grind finely.  Add flour and salt until combined.  Put in a small bowl and set aside.

Put eggs in food processor and turn on for 2-3 minutes until light in color and slightly frothy.  Add the sugar and whip until combined.  Remove food processor bowl.  Hand whisk the almond-flour mixture and chocolate mixture together.

Evenly divide the batter into the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Let cool, in pans, on wire rack.

If using metal pans, loosen cake sides from pan with a knife.  Flip one cake onto the backside of a plate.  Then flip the cake to be right side up on the wire rack.  Put waxed paper under the rack.

To make the filling, mash the raspberries and add the liquified jelly to the mixture.

Spread the raspberry filling on the top of the first cake.  Flip the other cake directly onto the top of the first cake and filling.

To make the glaze, put the rest of the chocolate and heavy cream in a small saucepan.  Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Be careful not to scald the cream or burn the chocolate.  Once combined, pour and spread over the cake, being sure the sides are covered by letting the chocolate go over the sides of the cake.

Using the remaining coarsely chopped almonds, pat onto the sides of the torte.

Place the 16 raspberries on top of the cake around the edge.

Throw away waxed paper under the cake rack.  Place the rack with the cake on a jelly roll pan.  Put in the freezer.