Heart Shaped Chocolate Torte Recipes

HEART'S DELIGHT TORTE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Pour into a greased and floured 9-in. heart-shaped or round baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Split cake in half; place one layer on a serving plate. Spread with one can of pie filling; top with second cake layer. Pipe whipped topping around edge; garnish with chocolate chips. , Spoon cherries from the second can of pie filling onto the top of the cake (refrigerate any remaining filling for another use).

HEART-SHAPED CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry cream: Cut vanilla bean in half crosswise, then cut a slit lengthwise down each half. Use the edge of the knife to scrape out all the seeds. Discard the pods or reserve for another use.
• Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla seeds in a saucepan; whisk until well combined.
• Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom surface of the pan, until thick, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and whisk to release some steam. Add butter and keep stirring until melted. Pass through a fine sieve to remove any fibrous bits from the vanilla pod. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
• Combine butter, water, and salt for the pate choux in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a buttery dough forms. Continue to cook and stir until a starchy film forms on the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and continue stirring for 1 more minute.
• Transfer to a bowl. Add one egg and mix it in with a little dough. Once that's incorporated, mix it in with the remaining dough. Repeat with the second egg. Continue stirring until you have a very sticky dough. Use a spatula to clean off the whisk if necessary.
• Transfer the dough into a pastry bag and snip off the tip making a ½-inch opening. Pipe two 6-inch heart shapes on the prepared baking sheet. Start by making thin shapes and then pipe extra dough to make them thicker. To fine-tune the hearts, dip your fingers in water and fix any imperfections if desired.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until beautifully browned, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, leave the pastries in the oven, and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon. Let sit until crispy and dried out, about 1 hour.
• Use a serrated knife to slice the hearts in half horizontally.
• Remove pastry cream from the refrigerator and transfer to a pastry bag. Generously pipe cream into the bottom half of each heart, then place the top halves on the cream.
• Heat cream in a saucepan until simmering.
• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour hot cream over top. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until chocolate has melted and ganache is thick and shiny. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
• Spoon ganache on top of each heart. Reserve any remaining ganache for another use. Refrigerate éclairs until the ganache is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Place éclairs on serving plates. Fill the center of each heart with raspberries and sift cocoa powder over top. Sift powdered sugar over just the raspberries and serve. (Each éclair is enough for two people.)

ROBERTA HEART

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack set in lower third of oven. Butter a 10-by-2-inch heart-shaped pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the espresso and water. Stir to dissolve. In a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolates, espresso mixture, and rum over a saucepan of simmer water. Stir until smooth. Remove, and set aside.
• Over the same saucepan of simmering water, combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a large heatproof bowl. Beat, using a handheld electric mixer, until thick, fluffy, and almost tripled in volume.
• Whip the cream in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
• Fold the melted-chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Transfer to prepared pan. Place a large roasting pan in the oven, and fill 1 inch with boiling water. Immediately set the heart pan in the roasting pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
• Remove from oven, and let cool in the water bath. When cool, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Just before serving, uncover the pan, and warm slightly in an inch of warm water to loosen from pan. Invert onto a platter. Pipe the sweetened whipped cream onto the chocolate heart with a decorative tip, if desired.

CHOCOLATE HEART-SHAPED CAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray the hollows of a 5-cup heart-shaped nonstick cake pan or an 8-cup silicone mold with cooking spray (see cook's note for product links). If not using silicone mold, line bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, dissolve espresso in hot water. Add chocolate and rum and place over (but not in) a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
• In a heatproof bowl, combine eggs and granulated sugar. Place over (but not in) pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Transfer to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes (or, if not using a stand mixer, you can beat with a hand mixer directly over the heat).
• Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture, then gently but thoroughly fold in whipped cream.
• Divide mixture among hollows of prepared pan (about 1/2 cup per hollow for 5-cup; about 1/3 cup for 8-cup). Place filled pan in a large roasting pan on middle rack of oven. Add boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely in water bath. Remove from water, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Just before serving, dip bottom of pan in warm water to loosen, about 1 minute. Run a small offset spatula around edges of cakes, then lift each out of pan; or cover with a platter and invert to remove. Remove parchment (if using). Use a pastry bag fitted with desired tip (Martha used a variety of star and leaf tips) to pipe buttercream or whipped cream onto cakes. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE ROMANCE TRUFFLE TORTE

Steps:

• MAKE SHELL:.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar on the bottom and sides of a well greased 8-inch loose bottomed flan pan or pie plate.
• Melt chocolate with water, vanilla and rum over hot water.
• Beat egg yolks until light add 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until yolks are thick and lemon coloured.
• Blend in melted chocolate mixture.
• Beat egg whites with salt until stiff, shiny peaks form.
• Fold in chocolate mixture.
• Pour into prepared pie plate and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F until mixture is puffed and firm to the touch (do not overbake).
• Chill one hour.
• The mixture will fall and form a shell for the filling.
• MAKE FILLING:.
• Bring butter and coffee to a boil.
• Process the chocolate, sugar and salt in the food processor until very fine.
• Pour the hot butter mixture through the feed tube with the motor running.
• Add the egg yolks and brandy and process until thick and smooth.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture until it is thick enough to pipe through a pastry tube Spread half the room temperature chocolate mixture on the cooled shell.
• Fold the whipped cream into the remaining chocolate mixture and spread over the first layer.
• Spoon the chilled chocolate mixture into a pastry bag and with a star tip, pipe a decorative edge just inside the edge of the shell.
• Refrigerate, uncovered until the filling is set, then cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 2 days.
• May be frozen.

EASY HEART-SHAPED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan and an 8-inch round pan. Line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Grease paper and dust lightly with flour.
• Beat white sugar, butter, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until well combined.
• Stir flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl.
• Beat 1 cup dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Add 1/2 cup milk; beat until combined. Continue adding 1 cup dry ingredients and 1/2 cup milk, beating after each addition, until all are used and batter is smooth. Divide evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
• Beat butter and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating after each addition and adding milk as needed, until frosting is fluffy, smooth, and spreadable.
• Remove 1/3 cup frosting and divide between 2 small bowls. Tint 1 dark pink with red food coloring. Tint the other orange-pink with red and yellow food coloring. Tint remaining frosting light pink with red food coloring.
• Set square cake on a work surface and rotate 45 degrees so that it resembles a diamond. Spread a little light pink frosting on left and right top sides of the diamond. Cut round cake in half crosswise to make 2 half-moons. Attach half-moons to top left and top right sides of diamond, gently pressing cake pieces together to adhere. Spread remaining light pink frosting over the assembled cake. Drop spoonfuls of dark pink and pink-orange frosting onto cake. Drag an offset spatula through frosting to create a marbled look.
• Pat sprinkles onto the sides of the cake. Chill, covered, for up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before slicing into 16 pieces.

HEART-SHAPED CHOCOLATE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325ºF.
• Spray bottom of 8-inch heart-shaped pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate, butter and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 min. or until chocolate is almost melted; stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Cool.
• Beat eggs and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add granulated sugar and flour; mix well. Gradually add chocolate mixture, mixing after each addition until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 30 min. or until edge is slightly puffed. Cool 20 min. Run knife around dessert to loosen from rim of pan; remove rim. Cool dessert completely.
• Cook jam in small saucepan on medium-low heat just until melted, stirring frequently; cool slightly. Spread jam onto top of dessert; top with strawberries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.