Chocolate Almond Flourless Torte Recipes

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet until lightly golden, 6 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground, but not pasty.
• Melt 12 tablespoons butter and the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate is smooth, then remove from the heat and cool slightly. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with butter and coat with the breadcrumbs, tapping out the excess.
• Set aside 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Combine the 6 egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest, rum and salt, then beat in the melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in the ground almonds until just combined.
• In a clean bowl, beat the 3 egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Gradually beat in the reserved 2 tablespoons granulated sugar on high speed until almost stiff. Stir one-third of the whites into the chocolate batter, then gently fold in the rest. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top is firm and cracked (a toothpick inserted into the cake will be fudgy), 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the ring. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with confectioners' sugar and whipped cream, if desired.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE (TORTA CAPRESE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the lower or middle level. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
• Grind the almonds in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the sugar. (Post grinding, your almond-sugar mixture will be about 3 cups).
• In a bowl over simmering water or in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the chocolate and butter together. Set aside.
• Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl with an electric mixer until lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup of the sugar. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring to mix well. Add the ground almonds and stir to incorporate. Add the salt, and the 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, if using, and stir to combine.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they form firm peaks. In two additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour or longer - a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or if you have an instant-read thermometer, it should register 205ºF or above.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan, then let cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled, transfer it to a serving platter. Just before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over the top.
• Optional: beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with a few tablespoons of confectioners sugar and a pinch of flaky sea salt until soft peaks form - I do this with my flat-bottomed whisk (which I love: it's the Xlarge Whipper). Taste. Add more sugar and/or salt to taste, and beat lightly again - I love whipped cream that's still soft and billowy in texture and not too sweet. Serve each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh berries, if you have them.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Combine almonds and 1/3 cup sugar in processor. Blend until almonds are very finely ground. Transfer almond mixture to medium bowl; do not clean processor. Add chocolate and 1/3 cup sugar to processor. Blend until chocolate is finely ground but not beginning to clump, about 45 seconds; stir into almond mixture. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl until mixture falls in heavy ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in almond extract and lemon peel. Fold in chocolate-almond mixture, then butter.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into chocolate batter in three additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.) Cut around pan sides to loosen; release sides. Sift powdered sugar over cake.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE WITH CHERRY PRESERVES AND KIRSCH MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until cocoa dissolves and mixture is smooth. Stir in kirsch.
• Beat butter and 1 cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Add cocoa mixture and almonds, and beat until combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Whisk egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the clean bowl of a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With machine running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites.
• Pour batter into pan, and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cover cake with parchment-lined foil. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 45 minutes. Run a knife or an offset spatula around edge of cake to loosen, and release sides of pan to remove.
• Make the meringue: Whisk egg whites and sugar in a clean heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form. Whisk in kirsch. Whisk until stiff peaks form.
• Spread cherry preserves on top of cake. Spread meringue over preserves using an offset spatula, making decorative swirls. Caramelize peaks of meringue using a handheld kitchen torch or under the broiler.

PASSOVER DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust with 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Melt chopped chocolate squares and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks and vanilla extract together in a large bowl.
• Gradually whisk chocolate and butter mixture into egg yolk mixture until well blended.
• Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat sugar into egg whites until sugar dissolves and egg whites hold stiff peaks.
• Fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining egg white mixture until just blended and batter is smooth and fluffy.
• Spread batter evenly into prepared springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sides begin to pull away from pan and top is set in center, about 25 minutes.
• Let torte cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing the sides of pan.
• Place chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave on full power for 1 minute. Stir the chips. Continue to heat in 15-second intervals, stirring after each time, until the chocolate chips have melted and are warm and smooth. Do not overheat.
• Drizzle melted chocolate chips onto torte. Sprinkle crushed almonds and a dusting of confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or as needed, onto the torte before serving..

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch- high sides. Combine chocolate, almonds and 1 cup sugar in processor. Process until all ingredients are very finely chopped and mixture appears grainy. Using electric mixer, beat yolks and vanilla in large bowl until pale yellow and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add chocolate mixture to yolk mixture and fold together (mixture will be very thick). Using mixer fitted with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions.
• Pour batter into cake pan. Bake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Top with chocolate curls, if desired. Serve with ice cream.