It’s always a good idea to have a rich, chocolatey trick up your sleeve when you need that show-off treat that gets everyone jittery with anticipation the moment they lay eyes on it. Most Parisiennes (Parisian women), for instance, keep a chocolate fondant recipe on hand for those times they want to invite a friend or two over for a long-overdue catch-up. This chocolate torte hits the same spot for me. It’s one of the ultimate just-because-I-can indulgences that transports me right back to my year in Paris. Best part about it? It’s all done within the hour, so you can make it the night before and put the finishing touches on it just before your guests arrive.
Rich Chocolate Torte with Peach Preserve
Cooking Time: 1 hour, refrigerate overnight | Serves: 8
for the chocolate torte
190 g dark chocolate
113 g (125 ml) butter
150 g (175 ml) sugar
1,25 ml Malden salt
50 g (90 ml) Snowflake cake flour
2,5 ml Snowflake corn flour
2,5 ml vanilla extract
4 eggs, large
50 g (125 ml) cocoa powder
for the chocolate custard mouse
250 ml cream, fresh
250 ml full cream milk
2,5 ml vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
50 g castor sugar
5 ml Snowflake Corn flour
200 g dark chocolate (chopped)
for the garnish
peach preserve
fresh fruit
For the chocolate torte
Pre heat the oven to 190 °C. Cut the butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature. In a large mixing bowl, place the chocolate over a double boiler and melt while stirring every 20 – 30 seconds, once melted remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Whisk in the sugar, salt, and Snowflake corn flour until combined. Slowly add one egg at a time and whisk to combine, add the vanilla extract, and stir for three seconds using a silicone spatula. Sieve the Snowflake cake flour and cocoa powder into the mixture and fold in until combined. Pour the mixture into a prepared 28 cm springform cake tin and neaten the batter out using a palette knife or the back of a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate for 6 hours or ideally overnight.
For the chocolate custard mouse
In a medium pot add the cream, milk and vanilla and simmer over medium heat for 3- 5 minutes. While the mixture simmers whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and corn flour together in a mixing bowl. Slowly add the warm liquid to the eggs while whisking to prevent the eggs from curdling. Return the mixture to the pot and cook while stirring every 10 seconds until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate. Blend the mixture with a stick blender until glossy and no chocolate lumps are left. Store in a piping bag in the fridge for 4 hours.
Garnish the chocolate torte
Use a large round nozzle in the piping bag to make dollop on top. Store the torte in the fridge and garnish each slice just before serving. The peach preserve can be replaced with fresh berries or granadilla.