CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY FUDGE TORTE

The first time I made this dessert, I brought it to a friend’s annual Christmas party.  Another friend, Peggy, took a taste, turned to me, and simply said, “I want this for my birthday”.  Her birthday is in August, but you can bet I remembered to make it for her then. 

EASIER THAN IT LOOKS

I am almost embarrassed to post this recipe.  It tastes decadent, looks wonderful, and makes people think it is exceedingly difficult to make. When people say, “Ooohh…this looks so good–you must have spent lots of time on this, ” it amazes me.

But the jig is up—Chocolate Raspberry Fudge Torte is actually harder to say than it is to make.  See above? Not many ingredients, but those fresh raspberries make it special! 

Another reason I like this particular torte is because it does not make a ton of dirty dishes.  In fact, you don’t even need a mixer.  Just a pot on the stovetop and, of course, the pan to bake it in.

Start by melting the butter and add the squares of unsweetened chocolate; stir until nicely melted and combined.  Do remember to move the pan off the burner before adding the rest of the ingredients.  The mixture starts to cool down with the addition of the sugar, then the eggs can be mixed right in without fear of making scrambled eggs in your luscious chocolate.

DON’T MAKE MY MISTAKE

It is a good idea to use a sifter or strainer when adding the flour, so you don’t get big clumps of flour in the batter. Mix thoroughly, but do not beat in too much air. Dang- since I forgot to use the sieve, I had to switch to a whisk for the final stirring. Did your parents ever say, “Do as I say, not as I do”?! OMG, I’ve turned into my mother!

There is no leavening agent in the batter on purpose in order to develop a dense cake. The batter is thin, as you can see from the photo above, but don’t worry it bakes up thick and dense.

THE AROMA LETS YOU KNOW WHEN IT IS ALMOST DONE

Because it is so fudgy, the toothpick test is not a reliable indicator of when it is done. You should smell the chocolatey aroma and check to see if the cake center jiggles when shaken.  Take it out when it no longer jiggles.

Although not required, the tart freshness of the coulis is a great foil for the richness of the chocolate torte. Cook the berries with a bit of sugar and liquid until soft enough to mash, the push it through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.  It is meant to be thin, not thickened, but it is a great complement the fudgy richness of the chocolate.

SERVE IT PLAIN, OR GUSSY IT UP WITH EXTRAS

Allen would not eat this without the berries, coulis, and whipping cream.  Then he usually left lots of the chocolate on his plate! Homemade whipped cream is worth the few minutes it takes to make. For those who have not made their own fresh whipped cream, here is a link with Tips for making your own homemade whipped cream. If you want to make it ahead and don’t want it to get watery, just “squeeze” it ahead time, as mentioned at the bottom of that post.

I love the fact that grocery stores now have good, fresh berries throughout the year, so this can be made for Valentine’s day.  But if you can’t get fresh berries, or they are too expensive, substitute canned cherry pie filling.  Then it becomes an easy, rich variation reminiscent of Black Forest Cake.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY FUDGE TORTE

Torte:

• 2 Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate
• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 Large Eggs, well beaten
• 1/2 Cup Cake Flour
• 1/4 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam*
• 1 Cup Whipping Cream
• Fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried
• Optional: Additional jam (about 2 Tablespoons), melted, for glazing

Coulis:

• 1/2 Cup fresh raspberries*
• 1-2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons water, juice, or liqueur

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Start melting the butter over low heat and add the chocolate.  Stir until it is all melted and blended. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and vanilla.  Gradually stir in eggs.  Sift flour over batter and gently blend in.  Do not overmix, just blend completely.  Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment, waxed paper, or foil and grease generously.  

Pour batter into pan. Bake in the center of oven 45 minutes or until it no longer wiggles in center when the pan is shaken.  Let rest ten minutes, then invert and cool on a wire rack.

Beat preserves to loosen consistency; add a little liqueur or juice to thin the preserves, if is too stiff. Spread the jam over the top and sides of the cake. 

Decorate with fresh raspberries, strawberries, cherries, or pie filling. Brush berries with additional melted jam if you want a nice sheen on the berries. Whip cream until stiff.  Spread or pipe over pie within a couple of hours of serving.

For coulis: Mix all ingredients in a small pot or microwave container. Heat until warm enough to mash together. Strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds.

This is best when served at room temperature. If making ahead, keep it chilled in the refrigerator, but let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours prior to serving.  Leftovers should be chilled, but again, bring it back to room temperature for serving.

*I have also made this with fresh strawberries and even cherries; but the raspberry version is the favorite.