Mocha Almond Torte Food

HAZELNUT MOCHA TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Combine hazelnuts and flour; fold into batter, 1/4 cup at a time. Spoon into two greased 9-in. round baking pans lined with waxed paper. , Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks., In a small heavy saucepan, combine the ganache ingredients; cook and stir over low heat until chocolate and butter are melted. Remove from the heat. Set saucepan in ice; stir for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from ice and set aside. , For buttercream, combine sugar and water in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Add a small amount of hot mixture to egg yolks; return all to pan. Cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. , In a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in cooked sugar mixture. Beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. If necessary, refrigerate until buttercream reaches spreading consistency., Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of ganache to within 1/4 in. of edges. Top with second cake layer and remaining ganache. Freeze for 5 minutes. Spread hazelnuts into sides of cake. Garnish with whole hazelnuts and chocolate leaves. Refrigerate.

ALMOND TORTE WITH MOCHA WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F (180C).
• Prepare 2 8 inch (20cm) round cake pans by greasing them and lining them with waxed paper cut to fit.
• In a blender combine the eggs and sugar at high speed until smooth. Add almonds and blend until they are very finely ground. Add flour and baking powder and blend until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans and bake at 350F (180C0 for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Let cakes cool (about 5 min) before removing from the pans. Let cool completely before icing.
• Optional to pour 1-2 T amaretto liqueur on bottom layer for decadence.

DORIE GREENSPAN'S MOCHA WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F (180°C).
• Coat a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with butter or baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment and butter or spray the parchment, then dust the pan with cocoa powder. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• In a food processor, combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar, the chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon and pulse, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often and taking care that you don't process for so long that the walnuts become a paste and the chocolate melts. You want to end up with a bread-crumb-like mixture-it's better to have some discernible morsels than to overdo it.
• Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer.
• Working with a whisk, beat the yolks until they're homogeneous. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup (150 g) of the sugar and then beat until the mixture is pale and your whisk leaves tracks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the vanilla. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the walnut mixture.
• Add the salt to the whites. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand, if using, and fit it with the whisk attachment. Beat the whites until they are foamy, opaque and just a bit thick, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, adding it a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is in, the whites should be thick and glossy-lift the beater(s), and the meringue should hold a pretty peak. If it doesn't, continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Using a flexible spatula, scoop out about a quarter of the meringue and add it to the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Stir everything together energetically so that the whites lighten the thick mixture.
• Scrape the rest of the meringue into the bowl and, being gentle, stir and fold it in. (Without overdoing it, you want to get as much of the meringue into the nut mixture as quickly as possible. If there are a few white streaks, it's fine (better to have streaks than to knock all the air out of the meringue.) Scrape the batter into the pan, swiveling the pan from side to side to settle the batter evenly.
• Bake until the cake feels firm to the touch and has risen and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (The rise might be higher around the edges, but the middle should lift too.)
• Move the pan to a rack and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the sides of the springform and allow the cake to cool to room temperature on the rack.
• Rinse a small saucepan with cold water, but don't dry it (this helps prevent the cream from scorching). Pour in the cream, set the pan over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and then, working with a small flexible spatula and beginning in the center of the pan, start stirring the chocolate and cream together. Stir in ever-widening concentric circles until you have a thick, shiny, smooth mixture. Piece by piece, blend in the butter until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• When the cake is cool, invert it, remove the base of the pan and the parchment and turn the cake right side up onto the rack.
• If you want to glaze the cake, now's the time. Put a piece of foil or other drip catcher under the rack, pour the ganache over the cake and use an offset spatula or knife to smooth it over the top. (Alternatively, you can drizzle the ganache over the cake. And if you're using toasted walnuts, sprinkle them over the glaze while it's still warm.)
• Refrigerate the cake until chilled, wrapping it well once it's cold. The cake is good at room temperature, but I prefer it straight from the fridge. It also cuts better when it's cold.
• Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche or, if you prefer, dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Or don't-it's fine just the way it is.

MOCHA-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Mocha Frosting:.
• Dissolve instant coffee in the 1 Tbsp. milk. In a mixer bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 sec. Beat in 1 1/2c. of the powdered sugar and the melted unsweetened chocolate. Add egg yolks and the dissolved coffee crystals, beating till the mixture is well blended. Add the remaining powdered sugar and additional milk to make a fluffy frosting consistency.
• Slice the loaf cake horizontally into 3 layers. Beat together almond paste and the 3 tbsp water. Spread the bottom cake layer with 1/3c of the almond paste mixture. Top with the next cake layer and repeat layering with remaining almond paste mixture and 1/2c. of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle sliced almonds atop. Store cake, covered, in the fridge.

DARK MOCHA TORTE

Steps:

• first make the pastry. sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub in butter until crumbly. Quickly mix in the eggs until everything comes together with the blade of a knife. Wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 mins. Roll out pastry and line a 21cm fluted loose-bottom tart tin. Chill for 20 mins. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
• line the pastry case with parchment paper, fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove beans and cook for a further 5 mins. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2.
• To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave on High for 1-2 mins, then cool. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs, yolk, nuts and flour. Fold in the chocolate and coffee, pour into the case and bake for 25-30 mins, until crumbs cling to an inserted skewer (the middle of the torte won't have set completely; it will continue to firm up out of the oven). Serve cut into thin slices, topped with crème fraîche or cream.

LAYERED MOCHA CREAM TORTE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend ground cookies and coffee powder in processor. Set aside 3/4 cup cookie crumb mixture. Add butter to remaining crumb mixture and process until crumbs are moist. Press mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until just firm to touch, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Make fillings:
• Stir chocolate, butter and 1 teaspoon coffee powder in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Set chocolate mixture aside while preparing meringue.
• Stir 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil syrup without stirring until candy thermometer registers 240°F, tilting pan to submerge bulb, about 4 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks.
• Gradually beat hot syrup into whites. Continue beating until medium-stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Fold 1/3 of meringue into lukewarm chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining meringue. Set chocolate meringue aside.
• Combine 1/4 cup cream and 5 teaspoons coffee powder in large bowl; stir to dissolve. Add 2 1/2 cups cream, powdered sugar and cinnamon and beat until firm peaks form. Fold 1 1/2 cups coffee whipped cream into chocolate meringue, forming mocha mousse.
• Spoon half of mocha mousse over bottom of crust. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons reserved crumb mixture over mousse. Spoon half of coffee whipped cream over crumbs. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons crumbs. Repeat layering with remaining mocha mousse, crumbs, coffee whipped cream and crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.) Run knife around pan sides to loosen torte. Remove pan sides and serve.