Mocha Pecan Torte Recipes

CHOCOLATE MOCHA TORTE

Steps:

• For cake, make a paste of cocoa and water; cool and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Blend in cocoa mixture. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , For filling, in a saucepan, combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over low heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool., Meanwhile, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve coffee in water; add to creamed mixture along with cocoa, vanilla and cooled milk mixture. Beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in nuts. , Cut each cake into two horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; top with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. , For frosting, in a large bowl, cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy. Add the milk, water, vanilla, salt and half of the confectioners' sugar; mix well. Beat in the remaining confectioners' sugar until smooth and fluffy. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Garnish with pecan halves if desired.

PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Beat egg whites in mixing bowl until medium-stiff peaks form; set aside. Sift together flour and cocoa powder; whisk in ground pecans and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks; mix in 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules and beat well. Fold yolk mixture into egg whites. Gently fold in flour, cocoa, and pecan mixture. Spread batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool slightly, then remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks.
• To Make Mocha Cream: Dissolve 1 tablespoon coffee granules in boiling water. Cool. Beat whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar together in a cold mixing bowl until stiff. Mix in cooled coffee.
• Fill and frost cake with Mocha Cream and garnish with pecan halves. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

CARAMEL-PECAN MOCHA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottoms of two greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper. In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water; cool completely., In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then cooled coffee. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. , Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., In a bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form., Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with 1/3 cup caramel topping; sprinkle with 1/3 cup pecans. Spread with half of the whipped cream. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread with the remaining caramel topping and whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining pecans; top with chocolate curls.

MOCHA PECAN CAKE

Steps:

• Coat nuts & the chocolate chips with 1 tablespoons cake mix & set aside. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil, coffee & 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes Fold in chocolate chips & nuts. Turn into greased & floured tube pan & bake at 350 degrees F, 1 hr or until done. Cool for 15 mins & turn onto rack. Cool completely before glazing. (Cake freezes well without frosting).
• Heat the tub of frosting up 20 seconds at a time until melted slightly and drizzle on the cake, sprinkle left over pecans on top.
• Enjoy!

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-PECAN TORTE

Steps:

• For the torte:.
• Line the bottom of 4 8-inch round cakepans with waxed paper. Grease and flour the waxed paper and set aside.
• Combine egg yolks, sugar, and baking powder; beat at hight speed of an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Combine cocoa and breadcrumbs, and stir ino the yolk mixture. Stir in vanilla; fold in ground pecans.
• Beat egg whties (at room temperature) in a large mixing bowl until stiff peaks form; gently fold 1/4 of eggs whties into yolk mixture. Pour batter evenly itno the prepared pans, spreading top to smooth.
• Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes or until layers spring back when they are lightly touched. Do not overbake! Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks, gently peeling off the waxed paper. Let cool completely.
• Make the Mocha-Buttercream Frosting:
• Dissolve instant coffee powder in water; set aside. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; add coffee mixture and cocoa. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with half-&-half, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
• Make the Chocolate Hearts and Shavings:.
• Melt the chocolate on topp of a double boiler over hot water. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; pour chocolate onto baking sheet.
• For rippled chocolate hearts, gently shake baking sheet until chocolate is level and about 1/4 inch thick. Let chocolate cool 5-10 minutes. Gently run a metal deocrating comb over chocolate to achieve a rippled effect and to flatten chocolate to about 1/8 inch thickness. Lest stand until chocolate is firm.
• Firmly press a 1-inch heart-shaped cutter into choclate, cutting through chocolate completly. Lift cutter up, and remove cutout by getnly pressing through cutter with a small wooden utensil. (Fingers leave prints). Cut out 12 chocolate hearts.
• Break remainign chocolate into small pieces. Shave edges of chocolate with a vegetable peeler, holding chocolate with paper towels so that the heat from your hand doesn't melt the chocolate. Reserve hearts and shavings.
• Frosting the Torte:.
• Measure and set aside 1 1/2 cups Mocha-Buttercream Frosting for piping. Spread remainging frosting between layers and top and sides of torte.
• Spoon reserved frosting inot a large decorating bag fitted with large metal tip No. 5 (star tip). Pipe 12 decorative mounds of frosting evenly around top edges of torte. Fit decorating bag with large metal tip No. 1. Pipe remaining frosting around base of torte ina shell design.
• Gently nestle a chocolate heart at an angle inot each mound of frosting on top of torte; place a maraschino cherry half at base of each on the inside. Sprinkle chocolate shavings in center of torte. Chill until ready to serve.