Cherry Almond Torte Recipes

SWEET CHERRY ALMOND CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Using unsalted butter or coconut oil, grease an 8 inch (20 centimeter) non stick spring form or cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment. grease the parchment. Set aside.
• Pit the cherries. Cut about a hand full in halves about 1/4 cup), set aside. Cut the remaining in quarters. The halves will be used to dot the top of the cake with so keep those separate. The quarters will be folded into the cake. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius). Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven.
• If Using Butter: In the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature butter and sugar. Set a timer for 5 minutes and using the paddle attachment (or handheld beaters), beat on medium (speed 4 if using a KitchenAid) for five minutes. The mixture will be light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. If Using Coconut Oil: In a large mixing bowl, add the melted coconut oil (it should be warm to touch) and sugar. Using a whisk, beat the mixture until the sugar is smooth and the ingredients come together, about 1-2 minutes. (You can use a stand mixer or handheld beaters here if you like). Scrape down the bowl.
• To the sugar/fat mixture, add the lemon zest and juice, and extracts. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk for about 10-15 seconds each or until each egg is broken up. The mixture will look broken at this point. Scrape down the bowl, all the way to the bottom. Into the mixing bowl, sift in the flours, baking powder and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined and no more dry flour is visible. The batter will be thick. Fold the quartered cherries into the batter.
• Scrape the batter into the pan, pressing it in and evenly smooth the top. Arrange the halved cherries on top of the cake, cut side facing up or down (no need to press them in - just set them on top - the cake will bake up and around them). Sprinkle the top of the cake with 1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar.
• Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes OR until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is golden and springs back when gentle pressure is applied. Cool for 20 minutes. Use a pairing knife to ease the cake away from the pan around the circumference of the pan, then remove the cake from the pan. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
• Share simply or top with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or ice cream. Store at room temperature, covered for up to three days. Reheat in a 325 Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes.

OLD-FASHIONED CHERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Combine cracker crumbs and butter; press onto the bottom of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish., In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, vinegar and vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread meringue evenly over crust. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack., Spread pie filling over meringue. Top with whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

CHERRY-ALMOND STREUSEL TART

Steps:

• Press pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom; trim edges., In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in cherries; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. Pour into crust., For topping, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and almonds. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

CHERRY-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Move oven rack to lowest position (remove other racks). Heat oven to 350°F. Make cake mix as directed on box, using cold water and adding almond extract with the water. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.
• Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until top is dark golden brown and cracks feel very dry and not sticky. Do not underbake. Immediately turn pan upside down onto glass bottle until cake is completely cool, about 2 hours.
• Run knife around edges of cake; remove from pan. Cut cake to make 2 layers. (To cut, mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long serrated knife.)
• On serving plate, place bottom layer. Spoon 2/3 cup of the marshmallow creme by heaping teaspoonfuls onto bottom layer. Spoon 1 cup of the pie filling between spoonfuls of marshmallow creme. Sprinkle with half of the almonds. Place other layer on top. Spoon remaining marshmallow creme and pie filling on top of cake, allowing pie filling to drizzle down sides. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Store covered in refrigerator.

CHERRY TART

Steps:

• Make the pastry shell. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and lemon peel in a bowl or food processor. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch slices and work them into the flour mixture with your fingers, or use the pulse motion of your processor, until the pastry is mostly cornmeal-size pieces and the mixture begins to hold together. Combine the water and vanilla and work them into the mixture just until the pastry is well blended and will hold together if you press it. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Wrap in foil and freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly press foil to line the bottom and sides of the pastry shell and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry edges are golden brown. Carefully lift off the weights and foil. Bake the pastry 5 minutes longer. Cool the pan on a wire rack.
• While the pastry bakes, make the cherry filling. Combine 6 tablespoons of the sugar, the wine and the lemon juice in a medium-size saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Heat to boiling. Drop in the cherries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until they are just tender. Cool in the syrup for 30 minutes. Then drain, saving the syrup for another use. (It can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
• Meanwhile, make the almond custard. Whisk the egg and egg yolk in a mixing bowl until blended and gradually whisk in the sugar until the mixture is pale yellow. Whisk in the flour. Heat the milk to boiling in a small saucepan and whisk it into the egg mixture in a thin stream. Whisk until smooth. Pour into a medium-size saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking slowly, until the mixture coagulates into lumps. Whisk vigorously until the custard is smooth. Lower the heat and beat with a wooden spoon 2 to 3 minutes longer to cook the flour thoroughly. Remove from the heat; beat in the butter, Cognac and extracts. Fold in the almonds and the drained cherries.
• Preheat the broiler. Spread the cherry filling in the tart shell. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar over the tart and broil 2 to 3 minutes to caramelize the sugar lightly.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES AND KIRSCH MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until cocoa dissolves and mixture is smooth. Stir in kirsch.
• Beat butter and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Add cocoa mixture and almonds, and beat until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Whisk egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the clean bowl of a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With machine running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites.
• Pour batter into pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cover cake with parchment-lined foil. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 45 minutes. Run a knife or an offset spatula around edge of cake to loosen, and release sides of pan to remove.
• Make the meringue: Whisk egg whites and sugar in a clean heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in kirsch. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Spread cherry preserves on top of cake. Spread meringue over preserves using an offset spatula, making decorative swirls. Caramelize peaks of meringue using a handheld kitchen torch or under the broiler.

CHERRY ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Grease bottoms only of two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed just until combined; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour and spread batter evenly into pans.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks.
• Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix pie filling and cornstarch.
• Cook over medium heat about 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
• Remove from heat to cool.
• In medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
• Beat in cream cheese spread until fluffy.
• Reserve 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture for garnish.
• Stir almonds into remaining cream mixture.
• With serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half horizontally.
• To assemble torte, place 1 half cake layer on serving plate; spread with 1 cup almond cream.
• Top with second half layer; spread with 1 cup cherry mixture.
• Top with third half layer; spread with 1 cup almond cream.
• Place remaining half layer on top.
• Spoon remaining cherry mixture on top of torte, spreading almost to edge.
• Frost side of torte with remaining 1 1/4 cups almond cream.
• Spoon reserved 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture into decorating bag with large star tip.
• Pipe cream around top edge of torte. Refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.
• Store in refrigerator.

BROWN BUTTER ALMOND TORTE WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the torte:
• In a small saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and continue to heat until golden brown with nutlike fragrance. (Bottom of pan will be covered with brown specks.) Cool butter to warm and stir in vanilla.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, knocking out excess flour.
• In a food processor finely grind whole almonds with flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat whites with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually, beating until meringue just holds stiff peaks. Fold in nut mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold in butter gently but thoroughly (batter will deflate) and spread in pan.
• Sprinkle top of batter evenly with sliced almonds and bake torte in middle of oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean.
• Cool torte in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert onto rack. Flip torte right side up and cool completely. (Torte may be made 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• Serve cake with sauce.
• To make the sauce:
• Working over a heavy saucepan pit cherries. In pan bring cherries, sugar, and water to a boil. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to sauce, stirring. Simmer sauce 2 minutes and cool to room temperature. (Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before serving.) Makes about 3 cups.