Silver Palate’s Chocolate Chestnut Torte by ddoug

[BakerAunt]

Silver Palate's Chocolate Chestnut Torte
Submitted by ddoug on November 16, 2007 at 10:33 pm

This recipe comes from the Silver Palate Good Times Cook Book, page 316 for cake.

18 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brandy (or other liqueur)
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
3 egg yolks, room temp
5 eggs, room temp
1/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 15 oz. jars or cans whole chestnuts, drained and pureed*
* Trader Joe's are excellent

For frosting:
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs. instant coffee granules
2 sticks (1/2 lb.) unsalted butter, room temp
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. maple extract (my addition: you can use almond or vanilla)
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
12 marrons glaces (OPTIONAL)

Preheat oven to 300º. Butter a 10" springform pan

For the cake:
Combine chocolate, sugar, brandy, butter and melt together either in saucepan stirring constantly or (my addition: in the microwave on half power, mixing until smooth).

Beat egg yolks, eggs, cream, cornstarch in mixer until light, about 3 min.

Add chocolate mixture and beat well.

Add chestnuts and beat well.

Pour into pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 min. THEN cover top with foil and bake for 45 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing cake from pan.

For frosting:
Heat chocolate, water, coffee granules until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool to room temp.

Cream butter until light, then add egg yolks one at a time. Beat in extract, then chocolate mixture, then confectioners' sugar.

Refrigerate until thick enough to spread.

After frosting cake, you can make frosting stars (if you wish, have a pastry bag, and are able to do that sort of thing [which I'm not]), and put a marrons glace in the center of each star. Warning: marrons glace are very pricey.

Makes 12 very generous or up to 16 slices.

Spread the word

      

  

  

[Author]

Posts