I made this on a Sunday night for our usual Sunday Supper, which is always a copious meal to start with. What I didn’t expect was for the family to fight to get more than one serving of the dessert. After tasting it, I understood, though it is sooooo rich, it is also soooooo yummilicous. This is a must to have in your repertoire of desserts to make, now, if only almond flour was not sooooo expensive.

I am a member of Cooks Illustrated, have bought their recipe books which I still use, and been a subscriber for a long time. Their recipes are fool proof as they take the time to perfect a recipe for us to use. In this case, I simplified it and hope you enjoy making it, serving it, and then eating it.

I suggest using a good quality chocolate for this, a box is usually 8 ounces even.

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Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Serves app. 12 people

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

12 tbps. butter, (3/4 cup) cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tsp. vanilla extract

* 1 1/2 c. almond flour

1/4 c. unbleached flour

1/2 tsp. table salt

5 large eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. fresh raspberries, plus some for garnishing

1/4 c. seedless raspberry jam (I used Smucker’s, it was the only one I found that was seedless!)

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

1 1/2 c. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. heavy or 15% cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. FOR THE CAKE: Heat oven to 325° F. Line bottom of two 9-inch-wide by 2-inch-high round cake pans with parchment paper.

2. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch simmering water (bain marie), stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in vanilla.

3. In your food processor, process 1 cup of the almond flour in pulses for about 30 seconds, add flour and salt and continue to process until combined, about 15 seconds. Transfer almond-flour mixture to medium bowl.

4. Process eggs in now-empty food processor until lightened in color and almost doubled in volume, about 1 minute. With processor running, slowly add sugar until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Using whisk, gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture until some streaks of egg remain. Sprinkle half of the almond-flour mixture over chocolate-egg mixture and gently whisk until just combined. Sprinkle in remaining almond-flour mixture and gently whisk until just combined.

5. Divide batter between cake pans and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake until center is firm and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer cakes to wire rack and cool completely in pan, about 30 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cakes to loosen, transfer to wire rack to cool.

6. TO ASSEMBLE TORTE: Place ½ cup raspberries in medium bowl and coarsely mash with fork. Stir in raspberry jam until just combined. Spread raspberry mixture onto cake layer that is top side up. Top with second cake layer. Transfer assembled cake to cake platter.

7. FOR THE GLAZE: Melt chocolate and cream in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan (bain marie) filled with 1 inch simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and gently whisk until very smooth. Pour glaze onto center of assembled cake. Use offset spatula to spread glaze evenly over top of cake, letting it flow the down sides. Spread glaze along sides of cake to coat evenly.

8. Gently press the rest of the almond flour onto cake sides with a patting motion of the hand. Arrange raspberries around circumference. Refrigerate cake, until glaze is set, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Transfer cake to serving platter, slice, and serve.

Protect this cake with your life. Serve small pieces as it is quite rich, then watch as your friends and family fight to take the last pieces home! Bon appétit!

*You can use your food processor and fresh roasted almonds, the measures remain the same. Make sure to get your almonds into a fine floury powder.