Email to Kathy Lee      

Triple Fudge Torte

Source of Recipe

net
Triple Fudge Torte
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 squares (1 ounce each) melted bitter chocolate
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sour cream
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup water
Pastry cream (see recipe)
Frosting (see recipe)
Fresh flowers or fruit for garnish

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Cream butter and brown sugar in bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla, melted chocolate and baking soda. Alternately beat in sour cream, flour and water. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake in preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Center should spring back when touched or toothpick inserted into center of cake should come out clean. Cool on rack.

While cake cools, prepare pastry cream filling and frosting.

Generously spread pastry cream over bottom layer of cooled cake. Add top layer. Then frost, spreading thick layers of frosting over top and around sides of cake. Use remaining frosting to pipe decorative edges around top edge of cake, as well as around bottom edge of cake. Decorate with fresh flowers or fruit if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve and refrigerate any leftovers. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Note: There may be some additional frosting left over. It can be refrigerated 1 to 2 days and used to frost other desserts.

Pastry cream:

5 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 to 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup flour
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slightly beat egg yolks in top of double boiler. Gradually add half-and half, sugar, cocoa to taste, flour and gelatin, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened, continuing to whisk, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla. Refrigerate until cool and of spreading consistency.

Frosting:

10 egg whites
2 cups sugar (divided)
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups (8 sticks) butter, room temperature

Stir together egg whites and 1 1/4 cups sugar in saucepan. Add water and cream of tartar. Cook over low heat, beating with portable mixer set at low speed. Do not let mixture foam in pan. Continue to beat over low heat, until mixture reaches 160 degrees. Transfer mixture to large bowl.

In separate bowl, combine remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cocoa powder. Add to egg white mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating constantly on high speed until sugar is dissolved. To be sure sugar is dissolved, rub a small amount of meringue between thumb and forefinger; it should not feel grainy. At this point, frosting should be glossy and stand in soft peaks.

Cut butter into chunks and gradually add to frosting, whipping mixture until butter is completely worked in. Mixture should be smooth and spreadable, but will stiffen with additional whipping.