DESSERTS

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE FOR MUM’S BDAY

2008/12/11 / 41 Comments
‘Life is like a chocolate cake, Take something bitter, something dry, something wet, and a little bit of leaven, mix well, and let it bake someplace hot.
The result is something sweet!’
~ Unknown~

2008 11 25
Flew in from Sydney a day before my Mom’s birthday, which falls on the 24th of November, with a sick child on hand so no hope for cake. But the daughter made a miraculous recovery on home ground & all her hunger pangs were back in full force. Past doctor visits, blood tests & test results the next morning, she was declared clear to return to normal food…so the 2 of us raced home to bake a quick cake. She supposedly helped me by sitting in front of the idiot box while I did the headless chicken dance to get some sort of cake going in an hour. Leafed through this wonderful book by Sue Ross ‘Cream Cakes & Gateaux’ & halted at a page with a chocolate torte. bday+cake+mama3
Why? Because the list of ingredients strangely mentioned bread-crumbs & I had just picked up a bag on the way back from the doc! Ominous sign I thought…must give it a go! It was only when I got underway in a HUGE rush, did I realise that the cake was less chocolate, more cinnamony, wierdly enough with lime zest & juice too…& no flour. Too late to turn back as I had tossed my precious almond meal in with the bread-crumbs…I plodded on. What a strange way to make a torte…but it baked & seemed quite moist when it came out of the oven. Once cool, the crust exterior was lightly knockable, like biscotti…hmmmmmmmmm, I thought, at least we have a cake! 2008 11 251I made a couple of changes to the recipe; sliced it into 2, filled it in with whipped almond cream & topped it with a dark chocolate ganache. In my opinion, a ganache seems to be the easiest way to dress a cake if time is limited & ability stretched. It’s a well behaved option too… smooth, silky & luxuriant. bday+cake+mama2The cake was great…surprisingly I must add. The crumb wasn’t luxuriously light, but had a slight crunch to it; a granular, nutty texture … very full of character. The flavours too married well, considering they were all strange bed-fellows by my meagre standards. The torte got BIG thumbs up from the whole family.bday+cake+mama1

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE
adapted from ‘Cream Cakes & Gateaux’ by Sue Ross
Ingredients:
Eggs-5, separated
Castor sugar – 200g (7oz)
Grated dark chocolate – 4 tbsps
Chocolate chips – 1/2 cup
Ground cinnamon – 2 tsps
Pinch of ground cloves (I didnt have this)
Zest of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lime (orig recipe had zest & juice of 1 lemon)
Almond extract – 2 tsp
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp (or 4 tbsps of brandy)
Water – 2 tbsps
Ground almonds – 100 g (3 1/2 oz)
Dried breadcrumbs – 125g (4 oz)
Baking pwder – 1 heaped tsp
Beat the egg yolks & sugar together till light & creamy.

bday+cake+mama

Method:
  • Preheat the oven at 160C. Grease & line a 9″ Spring form baking tin.
  • Stir in the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, lime zest & juice, water & extracts.
  • Whisk the egg whites until stiff & then fold into the chocolate mixture thoroughly.
  • Mix the breadcrumbs,alomond meal & baking powder thoroughly & then fold into the mixture. Turn into the baking tin.
  • Bake at 160C for 65-70 minutes/till done.
  • Turn out on rack to cool….
  • What I did next…I cut it into 2 horizontal layers, sandwiched it with whipped almond cream & topped it with a chocolate ganache.2008 11 252

HAPPY BIRTHDAY also to 2 of my dear bloggie friends, Dhanggit & Manggy who’ve just celebrated their birthdays this past week, & to my dear friend from school, Shompa, whose birthday it is today! All the very best of everything in life, ALWAYS…

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Posted by Deeba @ PAB

About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.

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41 Comments

  • Dwiana P

    2008/12/11 at 4:28 pm Reply

    A special and delicious chocolate cake sounds wonderful for bday. Happy bday for your mom:)

  • Divya Kudua

    2008/12/11 at 4:31 pm Reply

    Delicious Chocolate torte I must say,guess you come up with fantastic dishes under pressure..looks too good and perfect.Guess what,I too celebrate my bday on 23rd November..;-)..belated birthday wishes to your mom!!

  • Elra

    2008/12/11 at 4:33 pm Reply

    Deeba,
    I am so glad that your daughter is okay now. Gosh, I what a relieve! I am a mother myself, so totally understand what your feeling were.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR MUM, I WISH HER MANY MANY MORE YEAARS TO COME.

    The cake look really beautiful, Deeba. I am surprise too, when you said that you needed bread crumbs instead of flour. This is new, and interesting. I am glad it tasted good, and am so impress with your ability to decorate the cake too.
    Cheers,
    Elra

  • Lore

    2008/12/11 at 5:05 pm Reply

    It doesn’t even look like something made in a rush, on the contrary! It looks gorgeous and I’m glad your daughter is feeling better. Happy belated b-day to your Mom too 🙂

  • Happy cook

    2008/12/11 at 5:10 pm Reply

    The cake looks so yumm. I love chocolate cakes. And this one look so beautiful and delcious.

  • Bellini Valli

    2008/12/11 at 5:26 pm Reply

    I know the beautiful cakes you bake Deeba…but you knocked this one off in just an hour…that is LOVE!!!!

  • Curry Leaf

    2008/12/11 at 9:24 pm Reply

    Awesome Cake.Flourless and looks Very very good.Belated Birthday Wishes to your mother and happy to know that your daughter is now back to normal.her ‘help’was great

  • Pearlsofeast

    2008/12/12 at 12:57 am Reply

    Hey Deeba, it is excellent and u are pro in making torte’s. Very meticulously done. Full marks!!!!!!!!

  • Nazarina A

    2008/12/12 at 1:32 am Reply

    This is indeed a cake that needs no words just utter enjoyment and the chocolate God must be smiling upon you! Deeba, all is well now in your home with your daughter’s full recovery! Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year. My family and I are going to the Florida Keyes for three weeks, so I shall “see” you then! I need a little warmer weather ha! ha! I loved that snappy comment on my inedibles!

  • Manggy

    2008/12/12 at 3:20 am Reply

    Happy birthday to your mum! The cake looks and sounds great– probably even better the next day as the layers soften a bit. I’d read a recipe from top to bottom before starting anything though 😛
    Glad to hear daughter is back to her usual sulky self 😛

  • Bharti

    2008/12/12 at 5:26 am Reply

    Gorgeous as usual. I can’t believe it called for breadcrumbs! Strange ingredients indeed but one amazing looking torte.
    Did you make those chocolate leaves on top? They are so pretty.

  • Sree

    2008/12/12 at 8:54 am Reply

    Hi! Your cake looks yummy! Some time can you make a post on the step by step procedure involved in dressing a cake? You could probably give us ameteurs some tips as well. It would really help some of us who have learnt baking by ourselves.

    -Vani

  • Núria

    2008/12/12 at 2:59 pm Reply

    Deeba your cakes and cookies and tortas always amaze me! That is a work of art! It’s so close to perfection!!! If you were my daughter’s mom she would be soooooo happy and sooooooo fat ;D. Your kids are lucky to be so thin 😀

  • Navita

    2008/12/12 at 4:16 pm Reply

    surprised at the bread crumbs …thts new to me. was the texture too different…i mean any trouble slicing the cake?? just inquisitive

    as for ur torte…they are always amazing! love ur baked goodies all the time!! 🙂

  • Sunshinemom

    2008/12/12 at 4:28 pm Reply

    So relieving to see the cake. The moment I saw it I knew your daughter had to be well – you can’t bring yourself to bake otherwise! Wish your Mom a very happy birthday and many many cakes from her daughter:). Lovely cake and beautiful decoration – Love your taste and eye for color combos!

  • Cynthia

    2008/12/12 at 6:50 pm Reply

    This is the thing about your super bakers! Some of us would have rustled up a nice simple little thing (never mind the occasion), we would have made fancier fare with more time.

    But not you super baker! You have to make a torte and a cake that involved layers! You are so fantastic at what you do!

  • nicisme

    2008/12/12 at 9:21 pm Reply

    Oh Deeba, that is truly beautiful!
    PS. I would pay dearly to see you doing the headless chicken dance, LOL!!

  • Alexa

    2008/12/13 at 1:17 am Reply

    Deeba,
    I am glad your daughter is better.
    Thanks for the turmeric and honey trick… 🙂
    You know how to make wonders happen… this cake is gorgeous. Happy Birthday to your mom!

  • meeso

    2008/12/13 at 3:03 pm Reply

    Oh my goodness, I would weight a million pounds if I lived anywhere near you, absolutely beautiful!

  • Aparna

    2008/12/15 at 12:49 pm Reply

    Your mum’s b’day cake looks so stunning, I just had to say what I always say here about your cakes.:)

  • Jeanne

    2008/12/19 at 5:05 pm Reply

    Good heavens – if that’s what you do under pressure, imagine if there’s no pressure?! Very impressive!

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