The Family Heirlooms: The Nameless Cake with Seven Names + THE Chocolate Torte
Borrowed from Three Little Halves:
The Cake
for the cake
* 12 egg yolks
* 8 egg whites
* 9 oz (250 g) semisweet chocolate, shredded or chopped into small pieces
* 9 oz (250 g) butter, cut into small cubes
* 9 oz (250 g) granulated sugar
* 3 tbsp finely ground walnuts
* extra butter and some flour for greasing the pan
for the chocolate glaze
* 10 oz (280 g) dark chocolate couverture (alternatively, use dark chocolate plus two tablespoons of butter, see note)
hardware
* 9" round cake pan
* bain marie (double boiler), or a small pot nested on top of a larger one (see note)
for the cake
* 12 egg yolks
* 8 egg whites
* 9 oz (250 g) semisweet chocolate, shredded or chopped into small pieces
* 9 oz (250 g) butter, cut into small cubes
* 9 oz (250 g) granulated sugar
* 3 tbsp finely ground walnuts
* extra butter and some flour for greasing the pan
for the chocolate glaze
* 10 oz (280 g) dark chocolate couverture (alternatively, use dark chocolate plus two tablespoons of butter, see note)
hardware
* 9" round cake pan
* bain marie (double boiler), or a small pot nested on top of a larger one (see note)
1. Two hours before baking remove the eggs from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature. Separate yolks and whites. Reserve four whites for a different use.
2. Beat the yolks with sugar until creamy.
3. Heat the double boiler. When the water in the larger pot starts to simmer, pour the egg mixture into the smaller pot, add the chocolate and butter, and set the pot over the simmering water. Heat the cream slowly, stirring constantly until the butter and chocolate have melted. Do not let the cream get too hot as it can curdle.
4. Cook the cream over the simmering water while stirring constantly. It will take about twenty minutes to cook, give or take, this will entirely depend on the size of your pot and the amount of cream. At around fifteen minutes, start watching. There is a point when the cream will become viscous and begin to feel “heavy”. It will start pulling away from the sides of the pot, and if you drag a utensil through it, you will see the bottom of the pan for a while. These are all signs of “doneness”. At that point remove the pot from the heat and place it in cold water to cool. Mix from time to time. When the cream is completely cool, mix it well and divide in half.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the pan well with the butter and flour. Shake off the excess flour.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly beat in three tablespoons of grated walnuts. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate cream (the first half) and mix gently until fully blended. (My mom used to say that one should always stir in the same direction, because changing directions will disturb the batter.) Transfer the batter into the bake pan and if needed, smooth the top. Bake the torte until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
7. Remove the torte from the oven and allow it to cool. Use a small knife to ease the torte from the sides. Invert the torte to remove from the pan, and then invert back to its original position. When the torte is completely cool, coat it with the other half of the chocolate cream all over the top and the sides. Make sure you do a neat job here and create uniform surface, because it the torte is not even, it will affect the quality of your glaze. Place the torte in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
8. To glaze the torte, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. If the torte is cold, the chocolate glaze will harden much faster and will be very difficult to work with. Place the torte on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Grate or finely chop the couverture. In the double boiler over simmering water, melt two thirds of the couverture carefully until the instant read thermomether registers 104°F. (Make sure you are using a very small pot/saucepan for this task.) When to couverture has melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly add the remaining couverture, small quantities at time. When all the couverture has dissolved, place the pot over the simmering water again, and heat the couverture carefully until it reaches 89°F. Remove the couverture from the heat and pour it onto the torte. Spread the couverture over the top with one or two strokes of the palette knife and then spread evenly around the sides.
9. When the glaze has set hard, carefully slip a large palette knife under the torte to release it and place on a cake plate.
2. Beat the yolks with sugar until creamy.
3. Heat the double boiler. When the water in the larger pot starts to simmer, pour the egg mixture into the smaller pot, add the chocolate and butter, and set the pot over the simmering water. Heat the cream slowly, stirring constantly until the butter and chocolate have melted. Do not let the cream get too hot as it can curdle.
4. Cook the cream over the simmering water while stirring constantly. It will take about twenty minutes to cook, give or take, this will entirely depend on the size of your pot and the amount of cream. At around fifteen minutes, start watching. There is a point when the cream will become viscous and begin to feel “heavy”. It will start pulling away from the sides of the pot, and if you drag a utensil through it, you will see the bottom of the pan for a while. These are all signs of “doneness”. At that point remove the pot from the heat and place it in cold water to cool. Mix from time to time. When the cream is completely cool, mix it well and divide in half.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the pan well with the butter and flour. Shake off the excess flour.
6. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly beat in three tablespoons of grated walnuts. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate cream (the first half) and mix gently until fully blended. (My mom used to say that one should always stir in the same direction, because changing directions will disturb the batter.) Transfer the batter into the bake pan and if needed, smooth the top. Bake the torte until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
7. Remove the torte from the oven and allow it to cool. Use a small knife to ease the torte from the sides. Invert the torte to remove from the pan, and then invert back to its original position. When the torte is completely cool, coat it with the other half of the chocolate cream all over the top and the sides. Make sure you do a neat job here and create uniform surface, because it the torte is not even, it will affect the quality of your glaze. Place the torte in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
8. To glaze the torte, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. If the torte is cold, the chocolate glaze will harden much faster and will be very difficult to work with. Place the torte on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Grate or finely chop the couverture. In the double boiler over simmering water, melt two thirds of the couverture carefully until the instant read thermomether registers 104°F. (Make sure you are using a very small pot/saucepan for this task.) When to couverture has melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly add the remaining couverture, small quantities at time. When all the couverture has dissolved, place the pot over the simmering water again, and heat the couverture carefully until it reaches 89°F. Remove the couverture from the heat and pour it onto the torte. Spread the couverture over the top with one or two strokes of the palette knife and then spread evenly around the sides.
9. When the glaze has set hard, carefully slip a large palette knife under the torte to release it and place on a cake plate.
Serves 12
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