4 Layer Chocolate Torte Recipes

DECADENT CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Line bottoms only of two 13x9-inch pans with foil or waxed paper; spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add cake mix, water and oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Place half the batter (about 2 1/2 cups) in each pan. Spread batter slightly higher in corners than at the center.
• Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Run knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes if necessary. Turn each cake upside down onto clean kitchen towel each sprinkled with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; carefully remove foil. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth; set aside.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips and 2 tablespoons whipping cream on High 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer; stir until chips are melted. Stir melted chips into cream cheese mixture. Add whipped cream and toffee candy to mixture; stir until well blended. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Trim edges of cakes to make even. Cut each cake in half lengthwise. If necessary, trim top of layers to make flat surface. Place 1 cake piece on serving platter; spread with one-third of the filling (about 3/4 cup). Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake piece. Gently press in sides to straighten; if necessary, trim sides until even. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in remaining glaze ingredients until well blended. Reserve 3/4 cup of the glaze for garnish; cover and let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes or until thick enough to pipe. Meanwhile, microwave remaining glaze on High about 10 seconds or until slightly warm and spreading consistency. Spread over top of torte, letting some drip down sides. Refrigerate torte about 30 minutes or until glaze is set.
• Spoon reserved 3/4 cup glaze into decorating bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edges of torte. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Torte can be made 2 days ahead; wrap sides tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

ELEGANT CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and syrup until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. , Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring often., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with syrup and water. Beat just until combined., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool., Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake. In a large bowl, beat frosting ingredients until stiff peaks form; spread or pipe over top and sides of cake.

CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla. Whisk cocoa and water until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture. Beat until smooth. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks., In a bowl, beat cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form. Chill until firm., In a saucepan, melt chips and butter over medium heat; stir in cream. Remove from the heat; stir in confectioners' sugar. Chill for at least 1 hour or until completely cooled. Beat with electric mixer to achieve spreadable consistency. , Spread half of the filling over one cake layer; top with second layer and remaining filling. Top with third layer; frost top and sides of cake. Chill for 2 hours before cutting.

FOUR LAYER DELIGHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a bowl, cream together margarine with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Mix in flour and 1 cup pecans. Press into prepared dish.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool completely.
• In a bowl, cream together cream cheese with remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Fold in half the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.
• Stir together pudding mix and milk and allow to set up slightly. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining nuts. Keep refrigerated.

EASY FOUR-LAYER CHOCOLATE DESSERT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place flour in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in 1/2 cup walnuts. Press onto bottom of an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until light golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth; fold in 1 carton whipped topping. Spread over crust. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Gently spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with chocolate chunks and remaining walnuts. Refrigerate until cold., Cut into bars. Just before serving, drizzle with chocolate syrup.

FOUR-LAYER CHOCOLATE DESSERT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place flour in a bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust., In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes 2 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes or until soft-set. Gently spread over cream cheese layer. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate until cold.

FOUR-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment. Spray the parchment and dust with flour.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
• Beat together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at time and beat until incorporated. Add the sour cream and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Then add the vanilla.
• Stir together the instant espresso powder with the hot water in a spouted measuring cup. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the espresso.
• Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.
• Slice a thin layer from the top of each cooled cake with a serrated knife to remove the domed top. With a serrated knife, slice the layers in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Spread buttercream on the cut side of a layer and sandwich another layer on top. Repeat with the remaining frosting and layers, leaving the last top layer unfrosted.
• Apply a thin crumb-coat of frosting to the entire cake and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes to set. Use the remaining frosting to generously frost the cake.
• Put the egg whites and sugar into a large bowl set over a double boiler. Whisk constantly until the sugar melts and the mixture is very thin and warm.
• Pour the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Turn to low speed and continue beating until cool, about 10 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to medium speed and whisk in the butter in small pieces. (The mixture may look curdled before it comes together.) Add the vanilla extract. Re-beat the mixture as needed to keep it smooth as you frost your cake.

4-LAYER CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• For filling, in a small saucepan, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and syrup until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. , Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring often., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with syrup and water. Beat just until combined., Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool., Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake., For frosting, combine the sugar, egg whites, water and cream of tartar in a large heavy saucepan over low heat or double boiler over simmering water. With a portable mixer, beat mixture on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating on low speed over low heat until frosting reaches 160°, about 8-10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add vanilla. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 7 minutes., Pipe or spread over top and sides of cake. If desired, garnish with chocolate curls.

RICH FOUR LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with non-stock cooking spray. Line bottoms with wax or parchment paper and spray paper. Dust with flour; set aside.
• Cake: Beat devil's food cake mix, cocoa, mayonnaise, eggs and water until blended. Beat two more minutes on high. Divide cake batter evenly into two pans.
• Bake about 35 minutes or until tests done. Cool for 20 minutes in pans and then remove onto racks. Peel off paper to cool completely.
• Filling: Whisk frosting, sour cream and vanilla. Transfer 1 1/2 cups into a medium bowl and stir in almonds and coconut; set aside.
• Frost the Cake: Using a serrated knife, split each cake in half. Place one layer, split side down, on serving platter. Place 1/3 of filling on top of layer and spread evenly. Repeat with following layers until final cake layer. Spread frosting over the top and sides of cake. Can store up to 4 days.

LAYERED CHOCOLATE PUDDING DESSERT

Steps:

• For the salted pecan crust:Preheat oven to 325° F.In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, and pecans. Cut in butter with a rigid pastry cutter or a fork until crumbly. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until crust is set and slightly browned. It should smell nice and toasty, buttery and nutty. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.For the cream cheese layer:With a blender, whip cream cheese and powdered sugar until completely smooth. With a rubber spatula, fold in 1-1/2 cups of Cool Whip from the 12-ounce container until combined. Spread mixture onto cooled crust. Refrigerate while preparing the next layer.For the chocolate pudding layer:In a medium bowl, whisk pudding with milk for 2 minutes. Pudding will become more and more thick as you whisk. Spread pudding evenly over cream cheese layer.For the Cool Whip layer:Evenly spread remaining Cool Whip from the 12-ounce container over chocolate pudding layer. Sprinkle with shaved chocolate. (I use a vegetable peeler, running it down the sides of a chocolate bar.) Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight before serving.This dessert can easily be made the day prior to serving. I actually prefer the overnight refrigeration, as it allows the dessert to chill thoroughly and firm up. Always serve this dessert chilled.

HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13x2-inch pan.
• In small bowl, mix crust ingredients, and press into pan.
• Bake until lightly browned (15 minutes).
• Cool completely.
• Beat ingredients for 1st layer until creamy, and spread over cooled crust.
• Combine ingredients for 2nd layer and mix thoroughly.
• Spread over cream cheese layer.
• Cover with remaining cool whip.
• Sprinkle with almonds and chocolate to garnish, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To serve, cut torte into bars.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• Grease and flour two nine inch round cake pans.
• In a large bowl beat together sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well blended. In another bowl mix together cocoa, flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add milk and flour mixture alternately with butter and sugar mixture . Beat together until combined. Pour into cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. When finished baking let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After they have cooled for 10 minutes remove from pans and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon creme de cacao. Let cake cool completely.
• While cake is cooling prepare whipped cream filling. Add all Filling ingredients (except pie filling!) Whip until stiff.
• Cover bowl and refrigerate.
• After cakes have fully cooled. Carefully split each cake into 2 horizontal layers. Place one layer on your serving plate. (I find it easier to lay the split side down to help avoid crumbs when spreading the whipped cream mixture.) Add 1/2 the whipped cream mixture and spread until the top of the layer is covered. (Do not cover sides with whipped cream mixture) Add the next layer of cake. Split side up. (helps hold raspberry) Add about 1/2 of the can of raspberry pie filling. Spread around the top side of the layer only. (I also find it helpful to go close to the edge but not all the way , so that when the next layer goes on the raspberries aren't running down the side of the cake) Add the next layer of cake split side down. Add the remaining 1/2 of whipped cream mixture. Spread mixture the same as you did the first. Add last layer of cake split side down. Add ganache to top layer.
• Ganache.
• In a sauce pan combine chocolate (broken into pieces) Whipping cream, and butter. Cook over low heat stirring constantly, stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in creme de cacao. Let mixture cool slightly. Put mixture on the top layer.(I put it all in the center and then slowly spread it to the edges. After spreading chocolate but before the mixture cools I decoratively place the fresh raspberries on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

TRISHA YEARWOOD'S CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• [Editor's Note: Be sure to make the glaze before you bake the cakes.] In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir until melted.
• Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla, and the instant coffee, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a boil.
• Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a glaze, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the glaze from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter and flour at least four 9-inch cake pans.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• In a small bowl, mix the vanilla with the milk. Add the flour to the egg mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
• Pour a very thin layer of batter-about 7 tablespoons-into each pan, shaking the pans to distribute the batter to the edges. Bake the layers for 11 to 13 minutes.
• While the first cake layers bake, return the glaze to low heat as the glaze must be warm to spread on the cake layers.
• When the cake layers are done, immediately remove the layers from the pans and, working one at a time, place the layers on a cake stand and immediately slather with some of the warm glaze.
• Bake all of the remaining batter in this manner and continue to stack and glaze in this fashion. You should be able to get 12 layers from this recipe. Reserve the last of the glaze to dribble over the top of the cake.