Chocolate Torte Gingernut Base Recipes

CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Whisk cocoa and water until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Beat until smooth. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks., In a bowl, beat cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form. Chill until firm., In a saucepan, melt chips and butter over medium heat; stir in cream. Remove from the heat; stir in confectioners' sugar. Chill for at least 1 hour or until completely cooled. Beat with electric mixer to achieve spreadable consistency. , Spread half of the filling over one cake layer; top with second layer and remaining filling. Top with third layer; frost top and sides of cake. Chill for 2 hours before cutting.

CHOCOLATE GINGER TORTE

Steps:

• Start by lining an 18cm springform pan with parchment paper.
• Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin or whiz in a food processor until they are turned into crumbs.
• Melt the chocolate for the base along with the butter (you can do this either in a saucepan over a low heat or in the microwave).
• Add the ginger and biscuits.
• Stir to combine and press into the bottom of the lined tin.
• Chill in the fridge while you make the middle part of the torte.
• Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil over a high heat.
• Pull off the stove as soon as it boils and stir in the chocolate until it melts.
• Add the wine and butter.
• Cool to room temperature and pour onto the base.
• Chill until set, about two hours.
• Carefully remove the tin and paper.
• Cut with a hot, dry knife and decorate each slice with a bit of ginger just before serving.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Combine the first three ingredients; press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Place each flavor of chocolate in a separate bowl; set aside. In another bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 1 minute or until softened., In a small bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. , Transfer to a large saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until a thermometer reads 160° and mixture has thickened, about 3 minutes., Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Immediately pour a third of the egg mixture over each flavor of chocolate; quickly stir each until melted. Cool for 10 minutes. , In a large bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold a third of the whipped cream into each bowl. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture into prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with milk chocolate mixture, then white chocolate mixture., To serve, carefully run a sharp a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove side of pan. Garnish if desired by drizzling with melted chocolate to create pine boughs and topping with chocolate Almond Pinecones.

CHOCOLATE & GINGER TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3-4. Butter and line a 23cm round springform tin with a disc of buttered baking parchment. Lightly dust the inside of the tin with cocoa and tip out excess.
• Put the chocolate and butter into a medium-size heatproof bowl, add the ginger wine and set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Tip both the sugars into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer and add the egg yolks. Whisk until pale and light. Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the yolks and stir until smooth. With another large, spotlessly clean bowl and whisk, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold a stiff peak.
• Sift the almonds and ginger into the chocolate mixture and fold in using a large metal spoon. Add one-third of the egg whites and stir in to loosen the mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites until combined.
• Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and gently spread level using a palette knife. Gently warm the ginger preserve until it's just spreadable and carefully spoon onto the cake in small dollops. Spoon over the remaining chocolate mixture, spread level and bake just below the middle shelf of the oven for 50 mins-1 hr until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a moist crumb attached. Allow the cake to cool in the tin and don't be dismayed if the top sinks and cracks.
• To make the ganache icing, tip the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Then add the cream, butter and ginger wine. Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir until melted and velvety smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Carefully run a palette knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it, then put on a serving plate. Spread the ganache over the top, and leave to set before serving.

CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Grease a springform pan; dust with cocoa. Line bottom with kitchen parchment.
• In 2 qt saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with butter.
• In large bowl, with wire whisk beat egg yolks and vanilla.
• Slowly beat warm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture until blended.
• In small bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in 1/4 cup powdered sugar until sugar dissolves and whites stand in stiff peaks.
• Fold beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture, one third at a time.
• Spoon batter into pan spreading evenly.
• Bake torte 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
• Cool torte in pan.
• When torte is cool, remove side of pan then remove torte from pan bottom; discard parchment.
• Cut torte in 12 wedges. Sprinkle 6 wedges with cocoa, remaining 6 wedges with confectioners sugar.
• Arrange wedges alternately on cake plate.