DECADANT CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE CAKE

 

DEEP RICH VELVETY DECADENT SUMPTUOUS DARK CHOCOLATE TORTE TOPPED WITH AMARETTO WHITE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES AND COINTREAU DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES AND 100% DARK CHOCOLATE LATTICE DECORATION

 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SHORTBREAD BASE

170g plain flour

115g butter chopped

60g caster sugar

 

By hand is the key here, place the flour in a large bowl and add the butter and rub the butter and flour together gently with your finger tips until you have a fine breadcrumb consistency.  Take your cake tin and grease, tip in the shortbread crumbs and then push down firmly to create the base.  Cook at 180 degrees for approx 20 minutes, you want to keep the shortbread rather pale and the edges will catch just ever so.  Leave to cool on  a cake rack, once cooled place on parchment paper and place the tin back over the shortbread, line the sides only with cling film ready to fill with the chocolate torte.

 

THE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE TORTE

600ml double cream

425g plain 70%+ chocolate

 

So simple yet so divine, in a bain marie melt the chocolate slowly, take off the heat as soon as 90% melted and leave to cool for 10 minutes.  Once cooled pour the cream in to a large bowl ready to whisk, whisk until medium soft peeks form, slowly pour in the chocolate and fold in until all the mixture is the same colour.  Place on top of the shortbread base, pushing down to remove any air bubbles and smooth, place in the fridge to set.

 

TO MAKE THE TRUFFLES

WHITE CHOCOLATE

200g white chocolate

1 tbsp amaretto

100ml double cream

1 tbsp butter

 

PLAIN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

200g dark chocolate 70%+

100ml double cream

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp cointreau

 

Melt the butter and cream in a bain marie gently, once almost simmering add the chocolate and melt, when melted add the amaretto and stir in well, pour into a lined small tin and place int the fridge to set for a couple of hours.  After set using teaspoons form into balls best you can and place on a plate lined with baking paper, place back into the fridge to set for another 30minutes, then roll into balls and place back into the fridge, meanwhile melt some white chocolate in the bain marie and roll the balls in the chocolate and place back on the parchment paper, drizzle over any left over chocolate to make random patterns on the truffles, set in the fridge.  These will keep a soft centre.  Place on top of the truffle torte as decoration or serve on their own.  To make some chocolate lattice to decorate the cake all I did was melt some dark chocolate in a bain marie and then drizzle lattice knots on to the baking paper and place in the fridge to set, to remove use a baking spatula and lift off.