Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Almond, Chocolate and Cherry Torte
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
45 minutes
30–35 minutes
3 hours 20 minutes
Serves:
10–12 slices (9-inch / 23 cm torte)
Manisha created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 3. Her flourless torte pairs a bitter 70% chocolate crumb of roasted almonds and hazelnuts with a kirsch-soaked morello cherry jam, a slack mascarpone-kirsch cream, and a glossy dark chocolate glaze. Paul Hollywood called the flavour grea...
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Ingredients
FOR THE KIRSCH-MORELLO CHERRY JAM: Morello cherries, pitted — 300 g (2 cups), fresh or jarred (drained) Kirsch — 60 ml (1/4 cup), for soaking; reserve the liquor Caster sugar — 70 g (1/3 cup) Lemon juice — 15 ml (1 tbsp), balances the sweetness
FOR THE TORTE: Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa — 200 g (7 oz), chopped Unsalted butter — 175 g (3/4 cup), cubed Large eggs — 5, separated, at room temperature Caster sugar — 150 g (3/4 cup), split: 100 g with the yolks, 50 g with the whites Kirsch — 30 ml (2 tbsp) Ground almonds — 120 g (1 1/4 cups) Toasted hazelnuts, finely ground — 60 g (1/2 cup), skins rubbed off Fine salt — 1 g (1/4 tsp)
FOR THE MASCARPONE-KIRSCH CREAM: Mascarpone — 250 g (1 cup), cold Double (heavy) cream — 120 ml (1/2 cup), cold Icing (powdered) sugar — 25 g (3 tbsp), to taste Kirsch — 15 ml (1 tbsp) Vanilla extract — 2 ml (1/2 tsp)
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Double (heavy) cream — 120 ml (1/2 cup) Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa — 100 g (3 1/2 oz), chopped Unsalted butter — 15 g (1 tbsp), for gloss Golden syrup or honey — 5 ml (1 tsp), for shine
EQUIPMENT: 9-inch (23 cm) springform tin, base lined with parchment Stand mixer or hand mixer Two heatproof bowls (one for melting chocolate over water) Small saucepan Fine sieve Palette knife or offset spatula Wire cooling rack set over a tray Food processor or nut grinder Pastry brush Skewer
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE KIRSCH-MORELLO CHERRY JAM
Soak the pitted morello cherries in the kirsch for at least 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquor. Combine the cherries with the caster sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until glossy and jammy but still loose, 10–15 minutes. Cool. Stir the reserved kirsch liquor into a tablespoon of the jam's syrup and set aside as the soaking syrup for the torte.
STEP 2: PREPARE THE TIN AND MELT THE CHOCOLATE
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line the base of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform tin with parchment and butter the sides. Melt the 200 g dark chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water; stir until smooth, then remove and let cool to just warm.
STEP 3: BUILD THE BATTER
Whisk the egg yolks with 100 g of the caster sugar until pale and thick. Stir in the warm chocolate-butter mixture, then the kirsch. Fold in the ground almonds, ground toasted hazelnuts and salt — the mixture will be heavy. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the remaining 50 g caster sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks. Fold a third of the whites in to loosen, then fold in the rest gently in two additions, keeping in as much air as possible — this is what stops the crumb baking dense and dry.
STEP 4: ADD THE INTERNAL MOISTURE AND BAKE
Scrape half the batter into the tin. Dot over a heaped tablespoon of the cherry jam and swirl once with a skewer, then add the remaining batter. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until risen and set at the edges but with a faint wobble at the very centre. Do not wait for it to firm up completely — that is where dryness comes from. It will settle as it cools.
STEP 5: SOAK WHILE WARM
As soon as the torte comes out, brush the surface with the reserved kirsch cherry syrup and let it soak in. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then release and cool completely on a wire rack.
STEP 6: WHIP THE MASCARPONE-KIRSCH CREAM
Whisk the mascarpone, double cream, icing sugar, kirsch and vanilla together until it just holds soft, spoonable peaks — stop before it stiffens. Chill until serving.
STEP 7: GLAZE THE TORTE
Heat the double cream until hot and pour it over the 100 g chopped chocolate; leave one minute, then stir to a smooth ganache. Stir in the butter and golden syrup for shine. Cool until pourable but not runny. Set the torte on a wire rack over a tray and pour the glaze over the top, easing it to the edges so it coats evenly. Let it set.
STEP 8: SERVE
Serve slices at cool room temperature, each with a generous spoonful of the mascarpone-kirsch cream and a little of the remaining morello jam.
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Instructions
FOR THE KIRSCH-MORELLO CHERRY JAM:
Morello cherries, pitted — 300 g (2 cups), fresh or jarred (drained)
Kirsch — 60 ml (1/4 cup), for soaking; reserve the liquor
Caster sugar — 70 g (1/3 cup)
Lemon juice — 15 ml (1 tbsp), balances the sweetness
FOR THE TORTE:
Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa — 200 g (7 oz), chopped
Unsalted butter — 175 g (3/4 cup), cubed
Large eggs — 5, separated, at room temperature
Caster sugar — 150 g (3/4 cup), split: 100 g with the yolks, 50 g with the whites
Kirsch — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
Ground almonds — 120 g (1 1/4 cups)
Toasted hazelnuts, finely ground — 60 g (1/2 cup), skins rubbed off
Fine salt — 1 g (1/4 tsp)
FOR THE MASCARPONE-KIRSCH CREAM:
Mascarpone — 250 g (1 cup), cold
Double (heavy) cream — 120 ml (1/2 cup), cold
Icing (powdered) sugar — 25 g (3 tbsp), to taste
Kirsch — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
Vanilla extract — 2 ml (1/2 tsp)
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Double (heavy) cream — 120 ml (1/2 cup)
Dark chocolate, 70% cocoa — 100 g (3 1/2 oz), chopped
Unsalted butter — 15 g (1 tbsp), for gloss
Golden syrup or honey — 5 ml (1 tsp), for shine
EQUIPMENT:
9-inch (23 cm) springform tin, base lined with parchment
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Two heatproof bowls (one for melting chocolate over water)
Small saucepan
Fine sieve
Palette knife or offset spatula
Wire cooling rack set over a tray
Food processor or nut grinder
Pastry brush
Skewer
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE KIRSCH-MORELLO CHERRY JAM
Soak the pitted morello cherries in the kirsch for at least 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquor. Combine the cherries with the caster sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until glossy and jammy but still loose, 10–15 minutes. Cool. Stir the reserved kirsch liquor into a tablespoon of the jam's syrup and set aside as the soaking syrup for the torte.
STEP 2: PREPARE THE TIN AND MELT THE CHOCOLATE
Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line the base of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform tin with parchment and butter the sides. Melt the 200 g dark chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water; stir until smooth, then remove and let cool to just warm.
STEP 3: BUILD THE BATTER
Whisk the egg yolks with 100 g of the caster sugar until pale and thick. Stir in the warm chocolate-butter mixture, then the kirsch. Fold in the ground almonds, ground toasted hazelnuts and salt — the mixture will be heavy. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the remaining 50 g caster sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks. Fold a third of the whites in to loosen, then fold in the rest gently in two additions, keeping in as much air as possible — this is what stops the crumb baking dense and dry.
STEP 4: ADD THE INTERNAL MOISTURE AND BAKE
Scrape half the batter into the tin. Dot over a heaped tablespoon of the cherry jam and swirl once with a skewer, then add the remaining batter. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until risen and set at the edges but with a faint wobble at the very centre. Do not wait for it to firm up completely — that is where dryness comes from. It will settle as it cools.
STEP 5: SOAK WHILE WARM
As soon as the torte comes out, brush the surface with the reserved kirsch cherry syrup and let it soak in. Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then release and cool completely on a wire rack.
STEP 6: WHIP THE MASCARPONE-KIRSCH CREAM
Whisk the mascarpone, double cream, icing sugar, kirsch and vanilla together until it just holds soft, spoonable peaks — stop before it stiffens. Chill until serving.
STEP 7: GLAZE THE TORTE
Heat the double cream until hot and pour it over the 100 g chopped chocolate; leave one minute, then stir to a smooth ganache. Stir in the butter and golden syrup for shine. Cool until pourable but not runny. Set the torte on a wire rack over a tray and pour the glaze over the top, easing it to the edges so it coats evenly. Let it set.
STEP 8: SERVE
Serve slices at cool room temperature, each with a generous spoonful of the mascarpone-kirsch cream and a little of the remaining morello jam.
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