Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE

Category: Tortes

Cake
1 (6 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 pkg (2 1/2 oz) hazelnuts (filberts), finely chopped, toasted (2/3 cup)

Filling and Garnish
1 (12 oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream or hazelnut-flavored nondairy liquid creamer
Whole or chopped hazelnuts, if desired

Heat oven to 325. Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In 2-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until well blended.

In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold in toasted hazelnuts. Spread in pans.

Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of cakes appear dry and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around side of cake to loosen; remove from pan to cooling rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely.

In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 cups chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thick enough to mound and hold its shape when dropped from a spoon. (If filling becomes too thick, microwave on High 10 to 15 seconds to soften.)

Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Reserve 2 tbsp filling. Frost side and top of cake with remaining filling. Drizzle with 2 tbsp reserved filling. (If filling is too thick to drizzle, microwave on High 5 to 10 seconds to soften.) Garnish with hazelnuts.