Festive Chocolate Torte Recipes

FESTIVE CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, chocolate and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add combined flour, baking powder and salt alternately with milk, mixing well after each addition. Pour into greased wax paper-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
• Bake 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or metal spatula around pan to loosen sides; invert onto wire rack. Carefully remove wax paper; cool completely. Cut cake crosswise into 3 (10x5-inch) rectangles.
• Frost 2 of the cake layers with half of the whipped topping; stack on serving plate. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top of cake with pie filling. Frost sides of cake with remaining whipped topping. Store in refrigerator.

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.

FESTIVE THANKSGIVING TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and then lightly grease the parchment. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice lengthwise on a Japanese mandoline into ¼-inch slices. Arrange the sweet potato slices in the pan, fanning from the center and overlapping the pieces. Spread the lentils into an even layer over the sweet potatoes and gently press to pack.
• In a food processor, pulse the oats and walnuts until a coarse meal is formed. Pour into a large bowl and set aside. Combine the cooked brown rice, chickpeas, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, nut butter, and tomato paste in the food processor and purée into a smooth mixture. Add to the large bowl with the oat and walnut meal, and fold together until completely incorporated. Add the vegetable broth or water gradually, and stir. Add just enough to create a spreadable consistency.
• Gently drop dollops of the mixture over the lentils, and spread into an even layer. Cover the springform pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes, until the edges appear cooked and slightly dry. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, until the top is dry to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. When the springform pan is cool enough to handle, flip the torte out onto an ovenproof serving dish.
• Broil the torte until the sweet potatoes begin to caramelize. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh herbs.

FESTIVE CHOCO-BANANA TORTE

Steps:

• Arrange 24 wafers, flat-sides down, on bottom of parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan.
• Reserve 1/2 oz. chocolate. Microwave remaining chocolate, 1 cup marshmallows and 1/2 cup milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; stir until smooth. Pour over wafers in pan.
• Stand remaining wafers, rounded-sides out, around edge of pan, pressing slightly into chocolate to secure; top with bananas.
• Beat pudding mix and remaining milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping and remaining marshmallows; spread over bananas. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
• Run knife under warm running water; use to loosen dessert from rim of pan. Remove rim. Cut reserved chocolate piece into shavings. Top torte with remaining whipped topping, chocolate shavings and strawberry.