Lora Brody’s Chocolate Cherry Torte

Photos Courtesy of   « a whisk and a spoon

Lora Brody’s Chocolate Cherry Torte « a whisk and a spoon

Chocolate Cherry Torte
- makes 8 to 12 servings
adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser

for the cake:
3 T finely ground fresh bread crumbs
one 24 oz jar pitted Morello or sour cherries
6 oz dark chocolate
12 T softened unsalted butter, plus some for greasing pan
2/3 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 c ground almonds
2/3 c flour

2 T confectioner’s sugar
8 oz almond paste (or marzipan)

for the glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
8 oz. dark chocolate

-Preheat oven to 350°F; put rack in center of oven. Butter a 9″ or 10″ springform pan. Add the breadcrumbs and shake pan to coat bottom and sides. Shake out the excess. Drain cherries well and set aside.

-Melt chocolate in double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally.

-Put the butter and sugar into a mixer or food processor and blend until light and creamy. Add one egg and mix well. Then add second egg and mix well. Add the extracts. Add the melted chocolate and mix gently or process in a few quick pulses. Mix in the almonds and the flour, and finally, the remaining egg.

-Pour and scrape the batter into prepared pan. Smooth top with a spatula. Arrange cherries in close concentric circles on top (the entire surface should be covered) and press them gently into batter so just the tops are showing. If the surface is uneven, smooth it out with a wet spatula. There may be a few cherries leftover.

-Bake for 50 minutes to one hour. Don’t overbake. The cake may look dry on top, but will be moist inside. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.

-Put a length of waxed paper on flat surface and sprinkle with confectioner’s’ sugar. Work the almond paste into a flat round and turn it in the sugar. Cover with the second sheet of waxed paper and roll out into a circle the diameter of the cake. It should be quite thin (about 1/16th”). Take off top layer of waxed paper.

-Using the cake pan as a guide, cut out a circle that will fit the top of the cake exactly. Save extra pieces to patch any torn part or use for decorations. Cover the cake with the almond-paste round.

-To make the glaze, bring cream and coffee to a slow boil in heavy sauce pan. Take it off the heat and add the chocolate; stir gently until the chocolate is melted with no lumps (you can strain it if lumpy). Let the glaze cool briefly, until spreadable. Thin it with 1-2 t hot water if it’s too thick.

-Place cake on a rack over a sheet of waxed paper to catch drippings. Pour a thin layer chocolate glaze over the cake spreading it with a spatula. It should cover the top and sides of cake. Chill the cake briefly and and a second coat. Decorate if you wish (you can make roses or cut-outs from any almond paste scraps).

-This cake will keep unrefrigerated in a cool place for 2 days. It can be refrigerated, but the glaze will lose shine.

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Many thanks to « a whisk and a spoon!