Tastes From Home

Flourless Chocolate Torte with a Berrylicious Fool

One of our daughter’s favorite birthday treats is a flourless chocolate torte topped with a fruity fool.

It’s rich, indulgent and just the right amount of sweet after her favorite meal.

We’ve all grown so fond of this cake that we make it throughout the year and have surprised and delighted many friends when we pull it out of our picnic basket. (It travels very well and is much more sophisticated than everyday brownies.)

And the fool, well let’s just say there’s nothing silly about elevating the flavor
of light and luscious cream with berries and jam!

So whether you need a special occasion treat or just want to satisfy a chocolate jones, our recipe is simple to prepare and ready to serve in less than an hour.

We hope it becomes one of your family favorites too!
Serves 10 or more!

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SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

8” cake pan
parchment or waxed paper

INGREDIENTS

4 oz dark, bittersweet chocolate (I make my own mix with ⅓ from a super dark bar 70% and ⅔ ghiradelli chips)
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (½ cup)
3 eggs, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder, sifted
½ cup fresh berries, preferably raspberries or blackberries
¼ - ⅓ cup Back in Blackberry jam
1 cup heavy whipping cream

CAKE DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375º.
Cut an 8” circle out of parchment/wax paper and place it on the bottom of the cake tin. Lightly butter paper, set aside.
Chop the chocolate bar into smaller chunks and mix with chips in a small glass bowl. Microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Remove from the oven and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds and remove from the oven and add the butter. Return to the microwave for another 20 seconds or until all melted but not bubbling. Note: You can also melt the chocolates together with the butter in a double boiler or bain marie.
Whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy.
Slowly add the melted chocolate to the eggs. Take your time so as not to cause the eggs to scramble.
Once all of the chocolate mixture is incorporated into the eggs, add the sifted cocoa powder and whisk until just combined. (You don’t want to knock the air out of the batter!)
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and place on the middle rack of the oven.
Bake approximately 25 minutes or until a light crust forms on the top of the cake.
Remove cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes then invert onto a serving plate.
When completely cool, lightly dust with cocoa powder.

FOOL DIRECTIONS

Rinse, dry and place the berries in a small bowl. With a fork mash them but don’t macerate them! Leave a few nice chunks to give texture. Sprinkle with a ½ teaspoon of sugar.
In a blender or bullet or with a hand mixer whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of sugar until fluffy, yet firm but not hard. Note: The bullet whips very quickly so keep checking the mixture so you don’t end up with butter!
This dessert comes down to personal taste so grab a spoon and taste along the way. If you like things sweeter, by all means, add a little more sugar.
Once the cream is thick and firm, gently fold jam and berries into the mixture.

TO SERVE

The torte is rich, so a sliver with a dollop of fool will be a decadent delight. That said, this recipe will easily serve 10 or more!
To serve as a trifle style parfait: chop torte into 1” chunks and add 3 or 4 to a parfait glass. Top with the spoonful of fool and add a few more chunks topping with another layer of fool. To make this really indulgent, sprinkle with a fresh berries and plain whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Cook along with Christina as she makes this delicious recipe Live on Facebook.