Russian Chocolate Torte (Recipe)

Russian Chocolate Torte

Dense and moist with potatoes, crunchy with almonds, frosted with mocha, flavored with rum, oozing with preserves, this is a rich, rich, rich, Russian sweet.

Ingredients:

CAKE

1 cup softened butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, separated

'/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup mashed potatoes 1 cup ground almonds

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons rum

1 teaspoon cinnamon

11/2 cups unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter, softened 11/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons strong, warm freshly brewed coffee

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted 1 tablespoon strong, dark rum

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract FILLING

1/2 cup raspberry butter or jam or 1/2 cup stewed dried apricots, pureed

16 whole almonds or 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Procedures:

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Generously butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and then add the next four ingredients, beating until smooth. 

Mix in the vanilla and rum. Sift together the cinnamon, flour, and baking powder and add to the batter, mixing well.

 Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold them into the batter. 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 11/2 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Allow the cake to cool about 15 minutes in the pan, then slide a knife between the sides 

of the cake and the detachable side of the springform pan.  Remove the pan.

While the cake is cooling, prep= the frosting. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth.