Raspberry Almond Torte with Chocolate Ganache!

I hope you had a Happy Easter!  I pray that Jesus Christ has filled your heart with the knowledge of Him as the Savior and Messiah.  I also hope you enjoyed your family and friends over the holidays. I had a lovely day visiting with my son and his beautiful wife at their home in Georgia. 

We started the day at their awesome church and ended it with a torte that was made from an almond flavored cake, layered with a raspberry lemon filling (4 layers) and topped with a chocolate Ganache.  Are you kidding? 

My recipe this week is not my own but it was so good that I had to share it.  My army wife daughter-in-law is such an adventurous cook and doesn’t care how many steps are involved.   Everything she cooked for Easter was delicious, unusual and the meal flowed together like a professional had orchestrated it.  My son and I were the helping hands but she was the chef for the day.  She found this torte recipe online at www.myrecipes.com but it was originally a Cooking Light Magazine recipe in the March 2003 edition.  Here is the link:  http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/raspberry-almond-torte-with-chocolate-ganache-10000000428092/ .  And here is the recipe that I just copied from the link.

Cake:

• Cooking spray
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons almond paste (she substituted a 1/2 tablespoon of almond extract)
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large egg whites

Filling:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 (10-ounce) jar seedless raspberry preserves
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Ganache:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 1 (4-ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, chopped

PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray.
• To prepare cake, place butter and almond paste in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until blended. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, beating until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined.
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl. Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350° for 18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool. Invert cake onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper. Cut cake into 4 (10 x 3 3/4-inch) rectangles.
• To prepare filling, combine juice and raspberry preserves, stirring with a whisk. Add powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup raspberry mixture. Place 1 cake rectangle on a cake platter; spread with 1/4 cup raspberry mixture, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Repeat procedure with remaining cake and 1/2 cup raspberry mixture, ending with cake.
• To prepare ganache, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and add chocolate, stirring until smooth. Spread ganache evenly over top and sides of cake; let stand 20 minutes or until set. Serve reserved raspberry mixture with torte.

Cooking Light, March 2003

  Hi, my name is Susan and I am a mother of four and a grandmother to 5 and that, along with my husband and 2 dogs, take up my most of my time. I am a side-tracked Home Executive and I had the privilege of being a stay –at-home mom so, you might say that my passion is the home and making a haven for those I love. I am quite skilled at shopping 🙂 and finding a bargain just makes my day.