Italian Chocolate Cake

From: viv@tauon.ph.unimelb.edu.au (Viviane Buzzi)

Subject: Dolce Torino/Torta Gianduja (Italian Chocolate Cake) Date: 14 Oct
1995 06:57:35 -0600
Hi there…..here is a recipe for a classic Italian chocolate cake from the
Piemonte region, famous for it’s chocolate and hazelnuts, especially
combined! Hope you like it, Viviane Buzzi viv@physics.unimelb.edu.au

DOLCE TORINO/TORTA GIANDUJA; Source: “Regional Italian Cooking” by
Valentina Harris, Serves: 8.

Toast the hazelnuts in the oven and remove the outer skins. Melt 1 Tbsp of
the sugar in a small saucepan and add the toasted hazelnuts to it. Process
or pound this combination to a smooth hazelnut paste.

Melt 3oz/85g of the unsweetened chocolate and set aside. Whisk together the
6 eggs, 3 egg yolks, and all but 1 Tbsp of the remaining sugar until foamy
and thick. Do this with the bowl standing over a saucepan full of warm
water; don’t allow the water to get any more than body temperature, or the
cake will be spoiled. Add the honey, remove from the heat, and continue to
beat until completely cool and thickened.

Place the butter, melted chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut paste in another
bowl over a pan full of hot water or in the top of a double boiler and stir
until smoothly mixed together.

Sift the flour and cake flour into the egg, sugar and honey mixture and
fold in very carefully and gently. Then fold in the chocolate-hazelnut
mixture. Pour this into two buttered and floured 9-inch/23cm cake pans and
place in a preheated 190C/375F oven. Bake for about 40 minutes. When the
cakes are done, lift out of the oven and turn out onto a clean cloth, where
they can be left to cool. Put the remaining 5oz/140g unsweetened chocolate
in a bowl over a pan of hot water or in the top of a double boiler, add the
cream, and stir until smooth.

As soon as it begins to boil, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to
cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming on the top.

Put the apricot jam in a small saucepan and add the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar.
Stir over low heat until melted, then set aside in a warm place.

Melt the sweetened chocolate and also set aside in a warm place.

Whip the cream and chocolate mixture until stiff. Place the cooled cakes on
a serving platter with a sheet of wax paper underneath.

Slice off the hard crust. Mix the liqueur with the brandy and paint half of
it all over one of the cakes. Spread three-quarters of the chocolate cream
over the same cake, then put the other cake on top, so that the two form a
single cake. Paint the top of the cake with the remaining liqueur, then
coat the cake completely with apricot jam. Spread with the sweetened
chocolate and decorate with the remaining chocolate cream. Remove the wax
paper before serving.

Do not put the cake in the refrigerator, but keep it in a cool place until
ready to serve.

This cake is traditionally baked in a round pan and has “Gianduja” or
“Gianduia” written across it with melted chocolate.

Viviane’s Note: If you cannot get unsweetened chocolate, substitute
bittersweet chocolate and reduce the amount of sugar. I would maybe use
about 3/4 cup of sugar (half the suggested amount) but it depends on how
sweet you like it to be.

REC.FOOD.RECIPES ARCHIVES

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