Torta Divina Chocolate Mousse Cake With Liqueur Recipes

MAIDA HEATTER'S CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Set a rack in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate. Dust it with bread crumbs or cocoa powder. Set aside.
• Place the chopped chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over water over low heat. Bring it to a low simmer. Meanwhile, in a cup or small bowl, dissolve the coffee in the 1/4 cup boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Cover and cook over low heat, whisking occasionally, until the chocolate is almost melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. Let cool slightly. (Alternatively, place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and pour it over the chocolate. Cover with a plate or kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes. Vigorously whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If there are still bits of unmelted chocolate, microwave in 15-second bursts, whisking between, until smooth and fully melted.)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the yolks at high speed until they are pale, thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat at high speed for 5 minutes more until very thick. Reduce speed to low, and add the vanilla and cooled chocolate, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Wash the whisk attachment and mixing bowl.
• In the mixing bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff but not dry. Gradually, in two or three small additions, gently fold half the egg whites into the chocolate, then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whites just until no whites show. Handling as little as possible, gently reserve about 4 cups of the mousse in a separate medium bowl; cover and refrigerate.
• Transfer the rest of the mousse into the pie plate; it will barely reach the top. Gently level and bake for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, then leave it in the oven for 5 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. (The mousse will rise during baking and then, while cooling, it will sink in the middle, leaving a high rim.) Wash the mixing bowl and whisk attachment and place in the refrigerator or freezer to chill.
• When the baked mousse is completely cool, remove reserved mousse from refrigerator. Handling as little as possible, transfer the chilled mousse to the center of the baked mousse. Mound it slightly higher in the center, but be careful to handle as little as possible or it will lose the air beaten into it. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours.
• Make the whipped cream: In the chilled mixing bowl with the chilled whisk attachment, whip the cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla on high speed until it holds a defined shape. Spread over the unbaked part of the mousse, excluding the rim; refrigerate. (Another way of applying the whipped cream: Use a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tube and pipe a lattice pattern over the top of the pie and a border around the edge.) Coarsely grate some semisweet chocolate over the top before serving, if desired. The torte is best eaten the day it's made, but it's not bad the next day.

TORTA DI PANETTONE: CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Place the heavy cream in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk together until firm. In another bowl add the blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, remaining sugar, and grappa. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes and allow the sugar to marinate with the grappa. Cut the Panettone cake into approximately 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch thick slices. Reconstruct the Panettone by re-layering the slices of cake with the whipping cream and mixed fruit and juices equally in between all the layered pieces. Repeat until all the layers and cake have been reconstructed. Add any remaining juices and an optional splash of grappa on top.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease paper., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove waxed paper., In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature., Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa together. In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Beat in confectioners' sugar mixture and vanilla. While beating, gradually add gelatin until stiff peaks form., Trim cake edges; cut crosswise into fourths. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/2 cup filling. Repeat layers three times. Refrigerate until serving.

TRIPLE LAYER CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Make the chocolate mousse: Put the chocolate in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade.
• Process for 20 to 30 seconds, until finely ground.
• In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar and salt.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar dissolves and the milk comes to a boil.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• With the motor of the food processor running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube.
• Process for 10 to 20 seconds, until the chocolate is completely melted.
• Using a spatula, scrape down the side of the work bowl.
• Add the oil and vanilla extract; process for 5 to 10 seconds, until the mixture is creamy.
• Scrape the chocolate mixture into a large bowl and cool for about 5 minutes, until tepid.
• In a chilled 4-1/2 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft mounds barely start to form and the cream is still pourable.
• Do not overwhip the cream.
• Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whipped cream into the tepid chocolate mixture to lighten it.
• Fold in the remaining whipped cream.
• Do not overfold the mousse or the texture will be grainy.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6 to 8 hours or overnight, until firm.
• Make the cake: Grease three 10-inch round cake pans.
• Cut three 10-inch circles of waxed paer and place in the bottom of each pan.
• Grease the pan well and then flour, tapping out the excess.
• Set aside.
• Place the oven racks two shelves apart.
• Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
• Set aside.
• Place the coarsely chopped chocolate and the water on top of a double boiler and turn heat to medium-high, whisking occasionally until smooth.
• Remove from the top of the double boiler and cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, in a 4-1/2 quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and the sugars.
• Add the vanilla.
• Add the eggs one by one, mixing on medium speed until blended.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• With the mixer at its lowest speed, add half of the dry ingredients and the half of the buttermilk.
• When blended, add the remaining buttermilk and the chocolate mixture.
• Mix until blended then add the remaining dry ingredients.
• Mix on medium speed just until blended and the flour lumps disappear.
• Divide evenly among the three prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset metal spatula.
• Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove the pans from the oven and place on wire cooling racks.
• Cool for 15 minutes and invert.
• Peel off the waxed paper and cool completely.
• Begin to assemble the cake: Place a dab of chocolate mousse and then a layer of the cooled cake on a 10-inch cardboard cake circle or the circular insert of a tart pan.
• Using a large rubber spatula, place about one-quarter of the chilled chocolate mousse on top of the first cake layer.
• Using a metal cake spatula, spread the mousse evenly not quite to the sides of the cake.
• There should be slightly less than one-half inch of mousse on top of the cake.
• Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the mousse layer.
• Place the third cake layer on top, then spread the remaining chocolate mousse over the top and sides of the cake, coating smoothly and evenly.
• Place the cake in the freezer for a minimum of four hours.
• Make the ganache glaze: Place the coarsely chopped chocolate in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade.
• Process for 20 to 30 seconds, until finely ground.
• Place in a large bowl.
• In a medium pan, scald the heavy cream and pour over the chocolate.
• Using a metal whisk, gently stir until smooth and melted.
• Continue stirring until the ganache is room temperature or just slightly warmer.
• Glaze and garnish the cake: Place the Oreos in a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade.
• Process for 20 to 30 seconds, until finely ground.
• Remove the cake from the freezer and place on a wire rack that has been set over aluminum foil or a sheet pan.
• Slowly pour the ganache over the top of the cake, smoothing with a large metal cake spatula.
• When the top has been coated, slowly pour the ganache around the sides of the cake so it drips down and coats the sides.
• Use the spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the sides of the cake.
• When completely coated with the ganache, scoop the Oreo crumbs with your hand and press them onto the sides of the cake, coating its entirety.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE TORTE

Steps:

• Pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter; pulse until combined. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a small saucepan, sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatin over 1 tablespoon cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved; remove from heat., Place bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 cup cream in a metal bowl over a small saucepan of hot water; heat and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in gelatin mixture. Transfer to a medium bowl; cool completely. Repeat twice with milk and white chocolates., In a large bowl, beat vanilla and remaining 3 cups cream until stiff peaks form. Fold 2 cups whipped cream (a third of the total whipped cream) into cooled bittersweet chocolate; spread over crust. Refrigerate until set, 25-30 minutes. Repeat twice with milk and white chocolates, keeping remaining whipped cream chilled until needed., Refrigerate torte, covered, until set, about 4 hours. To serve, loosen sides from pan with a knife. Carefully remove rim from pan.