Covered With Kisses Chocolate Cherry Torte Recipes

CHERRY-COCONUT CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs and vanilla until blended. Beat in melted butter. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; gradually add to batter and mix well., Spread into a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack., Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Arrange cherries evenly around top edge of brownie; place remaining cherries over top. In a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter and reserved cherry juice until creamy. Spread evenly over cherries., In a large bowl, combine coconut and milk. Sprinkle over cherry layer, carefully smoothing down near edges and pressing gently to form an even layer., Place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Pour over coconut layer. Refrigerate until set. Loosen sides of pan with a knife. Remove rim from pan. Sprinkle with walnuts.

COVERED WITH KISSES CHOCOLATE-CHERRY TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom only of 9-inch springform pan, or line 9-inch round cake pan with foil; grease bottom of foil.
• Stir together melted butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs; using spoon, beat well. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating with spoon until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cake is set. (Cake is fudgey and will not test done.) Remove from oven; cool completely in pan on wire rack.
• Beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in medium bowl until well blended. Beat cream until stiff; gradually fold into cream cheese mixture, blending well. Spread over top of torte; refrigerate several hours or until set. With knife loosen cake from side of pan; remove side of pan. (Or, lift torte out of pan, using foil; remove foil.).
• Just before serving, put baking pieces in 6-inch-wide heart outline in center of cake. Fill heart shape with cherries from pie filling; put baking pieces all around outside edge. Serve cold, cut into wedges, with remaining pie filling. Cover; refrigerate leftover dessert.

CHOCOLATE KIRSCH TORTE WITH TART CHERRY/CRANBERRY FILLING

Steps:

• Preparation of Cherry/ Cranberry filling: (Can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated.)
• Drain cherries reserving cherry juice. Combine sugar, cornstarch and (2/3 cup) cherry juice in a 2-quart saucepan.
• Heat mixture until it comes to a full boil. Add cranberries. Let mixture simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until cranberries spilt open.
• Add cherries and Kirsch and heat just until mixture returns to a boil. Pour mixture into a covered bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Preparation of Cake:
• Let butter and eggs come to room temperature (20-30 minutes). Preheat oven to 350°F
• Prepare three round 9" x 1½" cake pans; lightly butter the sides and line bottoms with parchment paper.
• Cream butter. Add sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternating with buttermilk.
• Mix until well blended but do not over mix.
• Divide batter evenly between 3 prepared pans. Bake 30 minutes or until top springs back when gently pressed and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans to a wire rack, peel off parchment paper and cool completely before assembling cake.
• Preparation of the Whipped Cream filling: (prepare just before the cake is to be assembled.)
• Combine gelatin and Kirsch in a small custard cup and let stand about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
• Place the custard cup in a small pan of warm water and gently heat mixture over low heat, stirring until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
• Remove from heat. Beat the cream in a chilled bowl until it holds soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and beat until it holds stiff peaks. Add in the gelatin mixture gradually beating until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Preparation of Chocolate Icing: (Prepare after the rest of the cake is assembled and use immediately.)
• Cream butter. Whisk together sugar and cocoa. Add sugar mixture alternating with Kirsch.
• Beat mixture until fluffy adding only enough milk to make a thick spread-able icing.
• Assembling the cake:
• Place one layer, bottom side up, on a platter.
• Spoon half the cherry/berry mixture onto the layer and allow the layer to absorb the syrup. Then cover with half the whipped cream mixture.
• Place the second layer, also bottom side up, on top of the first layer. Cover with remaining cherry/ berry mixture (reserving about 5 cherries for garnishing the top of the cake.)
• Top with the remaining whipped cream mixture.
• Add third cake layer. Spread chocolate butter icing in the top of the third layer. Garnish with reserved cherries.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SOUR CHERRY CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, butter a 9" spring-form pan dust with ground almonds (or fine, dry unseasoned bread crumbs), shake out extra, set aside.
• Drain cherries, then spread in a single layer on several thicknesses of paper towel, while you continue to prepare the torte.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave, watch carefully, don't allow any water to get in the chocolate or it will seize.
• Cream the butter, add extracts and sugar, beat well; add eggs one at a time beating after each until mixed.
• On low add chocolate, beat until mixed, add almonds, then flour mixing just until incorporated.
• Spread about half or a little more of the batter into the pan (it is thick, using an offset spatula helps) place cherries one at a time over batter in a single layer, they can touch the sides, spoon and spread the remaining batter over the cherries, going slow helps prevent pull up.
• Bake 45 -50 minutes, the cake will be dry and crusty on top and a toothpick will come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a rack, then remove sides of the pan, let stand until almost cool ( to serve warm this is about 30 minutes).
• To remove bottom of the pan - cover cake with a rack and flip over, remove pan bottom - you may need to slip a thin spatula between the torte and pan bottom to loosen, cover cake with serving plate and flip back over ( I've been know to serve from the pan bottom, just keep your thin spatula handy).
• Note: Almonds should be finely ground in a blender or food processor, they should be almost powdery). Almond meal or almond flour (fancy names for ground almonds) can be found in some health food stores or at Trader Joes, though it can be very pricey under some labels. I prefer the freshness of grinding the almonds myself.
• Use real whipping cream unless you have dairy issues; a little kirsch added as you whip it is a nice touch.