chocolate-raspberry sacher torte

last night after work, we went out to dinner with my parents to celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary.  after dinner, we came back to our house for dessert.  my family absolutely loves any dessert that combines chocolate and raspberries.  so, when my mom found a recipe for a chocolate-raspberry sacher torte, we just knew that we had to try it.  ryan and i made the torte for my parents, and it was the perfect dessert to celebrate their anniversary.

this torte is decadent, to say the least.  the chocolate is rich and the raspberry filling is the perfect compliment to the chocolate.  the toasted almonds provide just the right amount of crunch too.  i think that we will have to run around the block a few times to work this one off, but it was oh so worth it.  happy anniversary, mom and dad!

chocolate-raspberry sacher torte
prep time: 15-20 minutes
cooking time: 10-15 minutes
baking time: 15-20 minutes
yields: one double layer 8-inch round torte
adapted from america's test kitchen

cake ingredients:
12 tablespoons salted butter
1 (4 oz.) bar hershey's semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 (4 oz.) bar hershey's unsweetened baking chocolate
1 teaspoon decaffeinated instant coffee
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar

filling ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/4 cup raspberry jam

ganache ingredients:
1 (4 oz.) bar hershey's semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 tablespoons hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

directions:
to make the cake: preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  in a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate together.  once melted, stir in the instant coffee, then remove from the heat and set aside.  in a food processor, grind the toasted almonds until fine.  (be careful not to over grind the almonds or the oil from the almonds will make a paste.)  mix in the flour, then set aside.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs for 4-5 minutes.  while beating the eggs, gradually add the sugar to the eggs.  the eggs will become light yellow in color and will double in volume.  (this step is important since there is no leavening agent in the cake.)  carefully fold the whisked egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the eggs.  then, gradually fold the almond and flour mixture into the chocolate mixture.  pour the batter into two 8-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper.  bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.  once done, allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 30 minutes.  remove the cakes from the cake pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

to make the filling: gently mash the berries and stir the berries together with the jam.  once the cakes have cooled completely, spread the filling evenly on the bottom cake, then place the second cake on top.

to make the ganache: in a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the cream together.  once melted, allow the ganache to cool slightly, then spread the ganache evenly over the top and the sides of the cake.

decorate the top of the torte with additional fresh raspberries and decorate the sides of the torte with additional ground almonds.  place the torte in the refrigerator to allow the ganache to harden before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie