Shelly's Recipe

HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE TORTE with Variations - Easy

Category: Tortes

7 oz white chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 (2-layer-size) pkg. French vanilla cake mix*
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam, divided use**
1/2 cup apricot preserves, divided use**
1 can classic chocolate frosting***

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake tins.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter together.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat (dry) cake mix, milk, eggs, extract and chocolate mixture 2 minutes. Divide batter among prepared cake pans.

Bake 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on rack; remove from pans and cool completely.

Halve cakes horizontally. Place first cake layer on cake plate and spread with 1/4 cup raspberry jam. Top with second layer and 1/4 cup apricot preserves. Repeat with remaining cake layers, jam and preserves. Coat cake with icing; garnish with berries and apricots if desired.

HEAVENLY TORTE 215 WAYS:
Layer a luscious torte to your liking when you replace the vanilla cake mix with a variety from group A, the preserves with a filling from Group B and the chocolate frosting with a flavor from column C.

*GROUP A:
1 box orange supreme cake mix
1 box yellow cake mix
1 box white cake mix
1 box red velvet cake mix
1 box spice cake mix
1 box french vanilla cake mix
1 box devil's food cake mix

**GROUP B:
chocolate hazelnut spread
frozen whipped topping
Marshmallow cream
orange marmalade
strawberry preserves
raspberry jam
pineapple preserves

***GROUP C:
vanilla icing
buttercream icing
cream cheese icing
lemon icing
caramel icing
milk chocolate icing
chocolate icing

Makes 1 (3-layer, 9-inch) cake, 16 servings