* Exported from MasterCook * Much Easier Than It Looks Triple Chocolate Torte Recipe By : Joshua Brown Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Desserts Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- Torte: 1 lb Frozen cake 2 c Creamy ricotta cheese 3 tb Sugar 3 tb Semi-sweet chocolate 2 tb Bacardi White Rum -- not extract! 1 c Raspberry freezer-jam -OR- 1 c Raspberries -- - bottled or canned, cooked with: 1/2 c Sugar -- up to 1 c 1 ts Vanilla extract Frosting: 2 c Powdered sugar 4 tb Butter 3 tb Dutch processed cocoa powder 1/3 c Boiling water Keep the chocolate in the freezer until you need it. Let the jam thaw out on the counter. The hardest part of this is cutting and frosting the cake. To cut it, measure the frozen cake into three equal, stackable sections. Here is an illustration: +---------+ / /! +---------+ ! !_ _ _ _ _!/! ! _ _ _ _ !/! !_________!/ Mark your measurements with toothpicks. Turn the cake on its side and gently cut it into three layers. Use an electric knife if you have one! Put the cake back into the freezer while you complete the next step. In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, sugar, and 1 ts vanilla until well blended. You may mix with a spoon or a hand mixer. Take the chocolate from the freezer and use a knife to flake off the chocolate into small chips (about 1/4 the size of chocolate chips or smaller). Gently mix the flaked chocolate into the ricotta cheese. You want the chips to be large enough that they are just slightly crunchy when chilled. Heat your raspberry jam or other fruity filling on the stove until it is hot but not scalding to the touch. Add the rum (Grand Mariner or Brandy is also Acceptable) to the fruit filling. Remove from the heat. Pull your cake out of the freezer in the interest of a nice looking finished product, place the bottom layer of your cake on your serving plate and cut four pieces of waxed paper. Put a piece of waxed paper about 1" under each edge of the cake, like so: %%%%%%%%% %%%wax%%% %%paper%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%XXXXXXXXX%%%%% %%%%%XXXcakeXX%%%%% %%%%%XXXXXXXXX%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% Don't push it more than about 1" under, or you will have a hard time getting it out without ruining the cake. The paper is there to catch any drippings from the fillings or frosting. If you have done this many times, or if you are very experienced and have a steady hand, you can probably omit this step. On top of the bottom layer, apply 1/3 c of your hot fruity filling. Start by drizzling some of the syrupy part of the mixture, then add some of the chunky stuff as well. Apply this only to the CENTER of the cake, not to close to the edges. Now spread roughly half of the ricotta filling over the fruit mixture. Put the second layer of cake on top and use your spoon like a trowel to make the edges nices and smooth, using the filling like mortar and the cake like bricks. Repeat this a second time with the next layer. You should reserve at least 1/4 cup of the more syrupy part of the fruit mixture and 1 tb of ricotta. When done, put the whole thing back in the fridge. In a deep bowl, mix the coca powder and the powdered sugar with a pinch of salt. Melt the butter and blend it into the powdered mixture with a hand mixer until it forms little balls. Add the rest of the warm fruit mixture (should be 1/4 cup) and the 1/2 ts vanilla and blend in HIGH for thirty seconds. Little by little, add boiling water and mix on HIGH until the mixture becomes smooth and runny enough pour (should be thicker than maple syrop or gravy, but not as thick as fudge!). Spread this mixture over the TOP of the torte, and let it run down the sides, especially at the corners. It should be thick enough that it does not run all the way down the sides. Let this cool for a few minutes and then pull out the wax paper. Use the remaining ricotta mixture to make a decorative dallop on top of the frosting right in the middle of the torte. You should cover the torte and let it sit in the fridge for about 1 hour before serving. Use a bell or a large bowl to cover it, NOT saran wrap! (This tends to stick to the frosting and ruin the way it looks.) The whole thing is a little complicated, but there is no baking or cooking involved. After a couple of tries, I was able to make this in about 35 minutes every time, which is pretty good for how it looks when you're done. I made this for many people, and they were invariably IMPRESSED by the way it looked and by how good it tasted. Giving credit where credit is due, I got the idea for this from a nice little cookbook which I can't remeber the name of. I think it was a make-a-mix book or something by the same author. I modified it to suit my own tastes. Please enjoy and let me know what you think! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -