Raspberry Topped Chocolate Torte

An old favourite from a Best of Bridge cookbook, I made this cake again for a friend’s belated birthday.

I wish I could say I have a better picture to show you. I was feeling the pressure to just snap a shot while I heard jokes behind me like “it hasn’t happened unless a picture is taken”. The jokes stopped short once we tasted this wonderfully delicious cake. Rich but not overly so and I love the underlying orange flavour. If cream were a more common part of our diet, I’d probably make this cake for more occasions. (eta. I’ve since added new photos below…)

Raspberry Topped Chocolate Torte

• 2/3 cup ground Almond
• 3 tbsp Flour
• pinch of Salt
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 3 tbsp Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Orange Juice
• 1 cup Whipping Cream
• 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 2 cups Raspberries
• Chocolate Curls (in a pinch you can melt chocolate chips earlier in the day and let them cool into a block shape, ready to make curls with a peeler later when you need them.)

1. Grease and line with parchment a 9 in springform pan. Preheat oven to 375’F.
2. In a small bowl, combine ground almond, flour and salt and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a double boiler or saucepan and stir in cocoa and sugar.
4. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick. Gradually blend in cocoa mixture. Stir in almond mixture.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff while gradually adding the second amount of sugar. Fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture, careful not to over fold.
6. Pour into springform pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside edges and remove sides of springform pan.
7. Torte will fall in the middle. Don’t worry, you’ll be filling it with whipped cream.
8. Drizzle and spread the 3 tbsp of liquor or juice over cake. Cool completely and wrap with plastic wrap. (This can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.)
9. Whip cream and fold in second amount of liquor. Spread on torte and decorate with berries and chocolate curls.