Chocolate Chilli Torte
{amazing rich chocolate chilli cake}
Ingredients:
185g Callebaut dark cooking couverture
125 mL hot, freshly brewed espresso
150g butter, slightly softened
75g sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp chilli juice*- squeeze the juice from chopped chillies through a tea cloth
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
150g ground almonds
For the chocolate chilli cream:
560g dark chocolate
1 tablespoon chilli juice (see above)
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
small pinch nutmeg
410 mL cream
* I squeezed the chillis through a garlic press- seemed to work well. They don't need to be chopped much. In retrospect, I wouldn't bother with the teacloth- the juice comes out clean enough without having to strain through anything else.
Recipe:
To make the base: melt the chocolate into the espresso in a pan on the stove. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar in a food processor. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing all the while, then add the chilli juice, cinnamon, cardamom and ground almonds. Beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the chocolate mixture.
Grease a non-stick springform tin and line with baking paper. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in a 160 °C over for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool and press the base down evenly with your hands.
To make the chocolate chilli cream: melt the chocolate. Then remove from the heat and add the chilli juice. Add the dry spices to the chocolate mixture, pour the cream over hte top and stir well.
To assemble the torte: remove the baking paper form the sides of the tin (but not from the base). Pour the chocolate chilli cream onto the base and leave int eh refrigerator to set for 3-4 hours.
Source: NZ Newspaper
