Flourless Chocolate Torte #2

Since the flourless chocolate torte was delicious and disappeared so quickly, but didn't seem to be correct in consistency, I decided to use the same recipe to make another one the next day. Here are the changes I made:

• I used dark chocolate pieces instead of semisweet chocolate chips
• I measured the ingredients by weight for more accuracy; which turned out to be 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons of butter, and 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon of sugar, and 300 grams of chocolate.
• I melted the chocolate over a double broiler with the butter and cooled it slightly before using.
• I separated the eggs and whipped the whites to soft peaks, then gradually added the sugar and whipped to stiff peaks, then whipped in the yolks one at a time.
• I folded the chocolate and butter into the eggs.
• I omitted the vanilla extract.
• I lined the pan with parchment paper.
• I baked the cake at 355◦F.
• I baked the cake for 50 minutes.
• I removed the side of the cake tin immediately afer baking.
• I chilled the cake before serving.
• I served it plain without any ganache or other garnishes.

Considering all the alterations I chagned and how promising the cake looked, basically the same thing happened. It cracked and collapsed and had a very fidgey texture. The cake batter looked very light and airy before putting it in the oven, and rose very high, but collapsed and slanted upon cooling. Oh well, this cake is still pretty easy to make, is gluten-free, and tastes so darn delicious.

Flourless Chocolate Torte #1

This is a flourless chocolate torte my mother made from one of my recipe books. I finished it off with a dark chocolate ganache, tuxedo strawberries, and some chocolate kisses. The cake was delicious, rich, dense, and chocolaty; but it didn't hold up well. Maybe it should have been refrigerated, or baked longer, I don't know; but bowls and spoons worked better for this cake than plates and forks.

1 cup butter
2 cups chocolate
5 large eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325◦F. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan.
Melt together the butter and chocolate.
Beat the eggs and sugar until meringue-like consistency.
Fold all together.
Bake for 30 minutes until top is dry and puffed and cake is set.

Truffle Torte

If you are looking for a satisfying, rich, delicious chocolate dessert - this is it! The best way to describe this is a chocolate truffle in cake or pie form, which truly melts in your mouth. It takes a few extra steps to make, especially if you choose to decorate it, but it doesn't require many ingredients. It doesn't need a lot of decoration, but a few simple things can transform this into a really special dessert. 

Truffle Torte
9-inch chocolate crust
16 squares (one ounce/ 28 grams each) semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup hard margarine, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the bottom outside of the pan with foil. Preheat oven to 425◦F. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.

Press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in a larger pan. 
In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for one minute. Stir, then microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Add the butter and stir until melted, then add the vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, one at a time. Then gently fold in the egg whites. Pour over prepared crust. 

Pour boiling water into the larger pan so it reaches halfway up the sides of the round pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until outer edge is set. Middle may appear soft. Remove from water bath, then remove foil and side of pan. Let cool, then chill for several hours. 
Garnish with chocolate glaze, ganache, frosting, sauce, fruit, chocolate curls, flakes, or as desired. 

I used what I thought was the perfect chocolate crust recipe to match this torte, but I wonder if it would work without a crust, as it doesn't seem absolutely necessary. I may try that next time. I decorated mine with chocolate ganache, chocolate piping, chocolate filigree hearts, and strawberries. 

Prinzregenten Torte

This is the dessert to go along with yesterday's dish. Technically yesterday's dish was only a side dish, but if you eat enough of it, and have a serving (even small) of this rich cake, it will make a satisfying meal. 
This cake, which translates to "Prince Regent Cake" is traditionally composed of eight sponge cake layers sandwiched together with chocolate buttercream, and sometimes topped with chocolate ganache. Since this is a huge torte, decorations are usually kept fairly simple, such as a few chocolate curls or whipped cream swirls. To cut this recipe down to a smaller amount, I made only a four layer torte, and I also made the layers smaller, so it is only a four inch cake. This makes four nice-sized servings, but could be split into even more servings as the cake is quite rich. It is a plain, but easy cake, but the chocolate buttercream is what really makes it! I just think this cake is so cute, so quick, and so divine!

Miniature Sponge Cakes
1/4 cup + 1/2 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup + 1/2 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Trace four 4-inch circles onto parchment paper, place on a cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon onto parchment paper, carefully spreading out to the shape of the circles. Bake for ten minutes or so until cake is set. Cool cake layers and assemble (this process will be outlined in tomorrow's post). 

Dark Chocolate Truffle Torte

This is a dark chocolate truffle torte I made, then garnished with icing sugar dusted on top in the shapes of a teddy bear, a shooting star, and a moon. This isn't necessary, but it just makes the dessert look a little prettier, I think. I also spread a simple chocolate glaze on top of the torte, since the torte is made with dark chocolate and may be a little bitter. The glaze and the icing sugar should add a little sweetness to the torte.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Torte
100 grams dark chocolate (85% cocoa), broken into pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a 9-inch pie plate with foil and spray foil with cooking spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter together, either in the microwave or on the stove, and stir until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 35 minutes, until edges are set but center is still slightly jiggly. Chill well before serving and garnish as desired.

I baked mine for 35 minutes, and the edges formed a brownie like crust, but the middle was still very fudgey and rich. I wanted to make sure it was fully cooked. The center will still be slightly jiggly, but will set upon cooling. 
You can use a chocolate with a lower cocoa content for a sweeter tart, or use semi-sweet chocolate and reduce the amount of sugar. 
This tart is fudgey and quite rich, especially if you use sweeter chocolate  But it is decadent and chocolaty and I really like it, as would any dark chocolate fan. A glaze really helps pull it all together, I will feature that tomorrow. 

Chocolate Meringue Torte

Here is the finished dessert using the meringue bases from yesterday. It is rich and chocolatey, but incredibly nice and light at the same time. It is composed of a decadent whipped cream chocolate cream cheese filling sandwiched between three eight inch layers of meringue circles, and finished off on the outside with more filling and some fresh cherries. This creates a beautiful contrast between the base and the filling, both in taste and texture. The meringue is light and delicate, and the filling is deep and rich. The meringue is made with brown sugar, which as I had previously discovered, lends it a more sweet and caramel-like flavor that complements the chocolate cream cheese filling perfectly. Although this dessert looks very impressive and earns the name of a torte, it is relatively simple and quick to put together. It also must be made in advance, so it can chill overnight and set and blend flavors. You may just need to add on a few last minute decorations, slice, and serve!

FILLING
1 package cream cheese (eight ounces, or 250 grams), softened
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup whipping cream

FILLING: Beat the cream cheese, milk, and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the other mixture. Spread between the layers of meringue, and frost the top and sides of the torte. Chill for eight hours or overnight.

I found this filling recipe made too much filling for the three meringue circles - it would have overpowered the delicate flavor of the meringues and weighed them down. So I didn't end up using all of the filling. Next time, I would cut down on the filling recipe by at least a third, maybe even halve it. Actually, the meringues are so good they could almost star on there own, you hardly even need a filling!

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Meringue Torte." Recipe. Desserts, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 94.

Meringue Circles

Tonight, I had some extra egg whites so I decided to whip up some meringues. I am planning to make a Chocolate Meringue Torte tomorrow using these circles by sandwiching a rich chocolate cream cheese filling between these three eight-inch round layers of meringue, but they must cool completely before assembly. The meringue shells should hold the filling beautifully. I was a little leery to make these meringues today, as the weather is a bit wet, but they turned out very well regardless!

MERINGUE
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 275◦F. On a piece of parchment paper or lightly greased foil, outline three circles, each eight inches in diameter. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until very stiff. Spread the meringue evenly over the outlined circles, smoothing the tops. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until meringues are dry and fairly firm. Allow to cool before removing foil.

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Meringue Torte." Recipe. Desserts, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1989. 94.