Chocolate Brittle Torte Recipes

DECADENT CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Line bottoms only of two 13x9-inch pans with foil or waxed paper; spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add cake mix, water and oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Place half the batter (about 2 1/2 cups) in each pan. Spread batter slightly higher in corners than at the center.
• Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Run knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes if necessary. Turn each cake upside down onto clean kitchen towel each sprinkled with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; carefully remove foil. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth; set aside.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips and 2 tablespoons whipping cream on High 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer; stir until chips are melted. Stir melted chips into cream cheese mixture. Add whipped cream and toffee candy to mixture; stir until well blended. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Trim edges of cakes to make even. Cut each cake in half lengthwise. If necessary, trim top of layers to make flat surface. Place 1 cake piece on serving platter; spread with one-third of the filling (about 3/4 cup). Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake piece. Gently press in sides to straighten; if necessary, trim sides until even. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in remaining glaze ingredients until well blended. Reserve 3/4 cup of the glaze for garnish; cover and let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes or until thick enough to pipe. Meanwhile, microwave remaining glaze on High about 10 seconds or until slightly warm and spreading consistency. Spread over top of torte, letting some drip down sides. Refrigerate torte about 30 minutes or until glaze is set.
• Spoon reserved 3/4 cup glaze into decorating bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edges of torte. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Torte can be made 2 days ahead; wrap sides tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the chocolate and 1 1/2 sticks butter in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let cool slightly.
• Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Gently fold half of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is no longer shiny and barely jiggles and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely in the pan. Remove the springform ring and transfer to a platter; dust with cocoa powder.

CHOCOLATE-BRITTLE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease bottoms of three 9-inch cake pans, line with wax paper and grease paper.
• Separate eggs, placing whites in a large bowl, 3 egg yolks in another large bowl, and set aside 3 yolks in a cup to make the frosting later.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy white and double in volume. While beating, sprinkle in 1 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it forms soft peaks.
• Stir water into the 3 egg yolks in large bowl, beat until thick. Beat in remaining ½ cup of sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until fluffy, then beat in vanilla and lemon extract.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt over egg mixture and fold into it.
• Fold in meringue until no streaks remain.
• Measure ¾ cup (original says 1 1/3 cups but my Mother's note is ¾ cup) of batter into each of the prepared pans, spread to edges to make thin layers. (Cover remaining batter to make 3 more layers after these are done.).
• Bake layers 20 minutes, or until golden and centers spring back when lightly pressed with fingertip.
• Remove from pans, peel off wax paper and cool on racks.
• Wash pans, grease bottom, line with wax paper and grease paper. Make 3 more layers like the previous ones.
• Make Chocolate Cream:.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with water until thick. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until fluffy.
• Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, stir in egg mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute, or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
• Beat in rum extract and vanilla, cool slightly.
• In a medium size bowl, cream butter or margarine. Beat in chocolate mixture very slowly. (Mixture will be thin but will thicken as cream is folded in.).
• Beat cream until stiff in a small bowl; fold into chocolate mixture until no streaks of white remain.
• Assemble cake:.
• On a serving plate, put layers of cake together by spreading ½ cup chocolate cream between each. Chill cake and keep chocolate cream at room temperature while you make the brittle.
• Make Caramel Brittle:.
• Melt ¾ cup sugar over low heat in a small heavy saucepan, stirring often with a wooden spoon; just until golden. (Watch it, for sugar will turn brown quickly.).
• Pour slowly over cake at once, spreading quickly to the edge. (It hardens fast so be speedy.).
• Frost sides of cake with remaining chocolate cream, making deep swirls with the knife.
• Decorate top and bottom edges with walnut halves.
• Chill until serving time. Torte is best and cuts more neatly, if chilled overnight.
• When ready to serve, crack candy topping by tapping along cutting lines with a sharp heavy blade knife, then slice into serving size wedges.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment; oil parchment and dust with cocoa.
• Melt together 1/2 cup oil and 8 ounces (1 1/3 cups) chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar until combined. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. Whisk in cocoa, vanilla, and salt; fold in ground walnuts. Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is set, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely, preferably overnight. Run a knife around edge to loosen; remove from pan. Transfer cake to a serving plate.
• Melt remaining 2 ounces (1/3 cup) chocolate and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Pour over center of cake and spread to cover top. Sprinkle chopped walnuts in center. Cut into wedges; serve. (Torte can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day.)

SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Line the base of a deep, round 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with a circle of baking parchment. Line the sides with one long strip that comes just above the sides of the tin - staple or paper clip where the strip overlaps to hold it in place.
• Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag or bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Stir into the melted butter, then evenly press into the bottom of the tin. Chill for 10 mins.
• Reserve 2 tbsp of the caramel. Stir the sea salt into the remainder and spoon into the centre of the biscuit base. Gently spread so the base is evenly covered but a visible 1-2cm border of biscuit remains around the edge. Chill for 20 mins while you make the chocolate layer.
• Gently melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir 1 tbsp of the cream into the reserved caramel, then cover and chill until ready to decorate. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat but leave the bowl where it is, and gradually stir in the remaining cream until you have a smooth, shiny, thick chocolate sauce. Sift in the icing sugar and stir in with the vanilla extract. Lift off the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 mins.
• Ladle or pour the chocolate mixture around the edge of the torte first, so it fills the biscuit border, sealing the caramel in the centre. Then ladle or pour in the rest and gently shake to smooth the surface. Chill for at least 5 hrs or up to 24 hours until firm.
• Remove the torte from the tin, then carefully peel off the strip of paper and transfer to a serving plate. Dot the chocolates on top. Spoon the reserved caramel-cream mixture into a small food or freezer bag. Snip off the tiniest tip of the corner to make a very small opening, then squiggle lines of caramel over the top. Chill until ready to serve. Scatter with a pinch or two of sea salt before serving, then thinly slice. Eat with a drizzle of single cream, if you like.