Lovers Chocolate Torte

Lovers Chocolate Torte

When it comes to the month of love, it's a crime to not lean into rich, decadent pleasures... and this Lovers Chocolate Torte is exactly that! Whether you're serving it to your special someone or bringing it to your best friend's sister's Galentine's Day gathering, you can rest assured that everyone who gets a slice will say it was love at first bite!

And just in case you're wondering what the hell the difference is between a torte, a tart and a cake, a torte uses less flour than a cake (if any at all), giving it that gorgeous dense and decadent texture. A tart, on the other hand, is generally baked in a shell of some sort, and a cake well… is a cake for heaven's sake!

So without further ado, let's get to the recipe. Oh, and if you do make it, I'd love to see the final result on Instagram - tag me @jonathonhawes!

Sweetened Whipped Cream :

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cold heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons of confectioners sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon of the best pure vanilla extract 

Instructions:

• Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. (Here’s a Jonathon Hawes trick: If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out!)

Flourless Chocolate Torte 

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces of the best dark chocolate you can afford, finely chopped
• 9 ounces unsalted butter 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 7 large eggs at room temperature 
• 1 teaspoon of the best pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh berries - I like to use strawberries and raspberries!

If you’re feeling fabulous, add two tablespoons of dark rum, bourbon, or Casis! But for the love of god do not use white rum or spiced rum. Use something delicious like Mount Gay!

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease again
• Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth and totally melted. Stir in the sugar, then let cool for a few minutes. Low and slow is the way to go, you do not want to scorch the chocolate!
• Using a whisk, add in the espresso powder, then add in the eggs one at a time, ensuring they’re well mixed in before adding the next. After all the eggs are added, continue to whisk until the batter becomes thick and glossy.  Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and any optional liqueur at this point too!
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the torte jiggles slightly in the middle but is not completely set. Begin checking at the 30-minute mark to ensure the torte does not over bake. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold. 
• Let the torte come to room temp before serving, about 30 minutes to one hour after removing from the oven. 
• Slather with whipped cream on the torte, and make swirls by using the back of a spoon, and top with fresh berries of your choice! 
• Cut into wedges and serve… how good does that sound?

Now, I don't want to lie to you, this recipe can be a bit of a pain in the ass but trust me when I say it is worth it! And with that said, I'll sign this off by wishing you all a month filled with love, happiness and of course, chocolate! 

JH xx