Chef Chuck's Chocolate Raspberry Torta

Torta al Cioccolato e Lamponi

A decadent rich chocolate cake with raspberry filling and a ganache icing. If you love chocolate you are going to love this moist and dense European style dessert. The combination of chocolate and raspberries is always so pleasing to the palate.

Chocolate Raspberry Torta

Cake

1 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted

9 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

8 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

3/4 cup flour

Raspberry Filling

1/2 cup raspberry jam, seedless

3/4 cup fresh raspberries

Ganache

1 cup bittersweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Cake preparation

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and set aside. In a mixer beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed. Separate eggs and add yolks in one at a time till all incorporated. Stream in warm chocolate, add vanilla and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl whip egg whites till stiff peaks appear. Fold whites into chocolate batter. Sift flour over batter and fold in. Use two 8 inch baking pans, butter and lightly flour, divide the batter and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and remove from pans rest on racks.

Filling

In a small saucepan heat jam and cut fresh raspberries in half, simmer on low heat till it reduces, about 10 minutes. Cool and strain, discard all seeds.

Ganache

In a double boiler heat chocolate and cream till melted, add sugar and keep stirring till smooth.

When cakes are completely cooled use a pastry brush and put half the jam on one cake and the other half of jam on the other cake. Let the jam soak in, then place one cake on top of the other. Keep the cake on the rack and pour the warm chocolate over, if needed use a knife to ice the sides. Refrigerate till the chocolate hardens, place on a cake plate, serve with whip cream and fresh raspberries.