Want to go beyond cards and heart-shaped candies this year? If so, heighten the celebration of Valentine’s Day with this chocolate-raspberry torte. Its classic flavor combination, rich taste, dense texture and visual appeal please a wide audience and make it worthy of any special occasion.
The recipe is straightforward and takes less time and kitchen equipment than the standard layer cake. And, you can make the torte (untopped) well ahead, wrap it airtight and freeze it — a boon this year because Valentine’s Day falls midweek, a workday for many of us. On the day you plan to serve it, defrost it, wrapped, in the refrigerator, then unwrap it and add the topping.
To get the best taste possible, opt for high-quality chocolate with about 60% cacao (higher percentages don’t work well in this recipe).
St. Valentine’s chocolate-raspberry torte
Total time: 2 hours. Adjusted for altitudes of 7,000 feet and above. Make in an 8½-inch metal springform pan.
For the torte:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons bleached flour (spoon and level)
¼ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs, room temp.
½ cup superfine sugar
¾ cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tablespoon crème de cassis or raspberry liqueur
For the topping:
¼ cup seedless raspberry jam
1 teaspoon crème de cassis or raspberry liqueur, optional
½ ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
1 cup of sweetened whipped cream
½ cup of fresh raspberries
Preparation: Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center position. Unlock and flip over the bottom of the springform pan so the side with the lip is down and fasten it in place (this eases removal of the baked torte). Grease the pan with a baking spray that contains flour, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and grease the paper. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, whisk vigorously to combine, and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter: Place the chopped chocolate and cut-up butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave on low until the butter melts and the chocolate is almost fully melted. Remove and stir until the mixture is completely smooth, shiny and combined. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.) Set it aside.
Make batter: Whisk the eggs until combined, but not frothy, in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, ¾ cup of jam and crème de cassis and whisk gently until blended. Stir in the chocolate-butter and the flour mixtures until all are well blended. Don’t whisk or stir vigorously during this step or you’ll create air bubbles in the batter.
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan; smooth and level the top, and tap it on a counter several times to release any air bubbles that may have formed during mixing. Place on a cookie sheet to catch any drips. Bake until a tester inserted in the middle of the torte comes out clean, from 50 minutes to an hour, though times may vary, so start checking earlier. A few cracks may develop on the top; no worries, this will be the bottom once the torte is inverted.
Cool: Remove to a rack and cool for about 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife or offset spatula around the sides of the cake, pressing toward the pan, not the torte. Remove the pan’s side and let the torte cool until barely warm. Invert it onto a cardboard cake circle or a cooling rack, carefully lift off the pan bottom and parchment paper and, if on a rack, slide the inverted torte back onto the base of the springform pan. Let it cool completely.
Top and serve: To make the topping, simmer and stir the raspberry jam for several minutes in a small saucepan until it’s slightly thickened and smooth. Remove it from the heat, stir in the liqueur (if using) and set it aside to cool until tepid. Spread it over the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle with the grated chocolate. (This can be done early on the day you serve it. Cover and refrigerate.) Up to an hour before serving, pipe rosettes or stars of the whipped cream around the edge of the torte and arrange some fresh raspberries in the middle. Cut the torte into thin pieces (it’s rich) and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Vera Dawson is a high-elevation baking instructor and author of three high-altitude cookbooks (available at Garcia Street Books in Santa Fe). Contact her at veradawson1@gmail.com.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.
