Chocolate Cherry Torte (1/2)

Title:
Chocolate Cherry Torte (1/2)

Yield:
10 Servings

Categories:
Holidays,
Desserts,
Cakes,
Torte




Ingredients:




------------------------DRIED
CHERRY FILLING & COFFE------------------------


 1 1/4 c  Dried sour cherries (see


          -Note)


     1 c  Water


     3 tb Granulated sugar


     1 tb Cornstarch


     3 tb Marsala


     1 ts Lemon juice


   1/3 c  Strong coffee





-------------------------------CHOCOLATE
CAKE-------------------------------


   1/4 c  Boiling water


   1/4 c  Unsweetened cocoa powder


   3/4 c  Granulated sugar


   1/3 c  Vegetable shortening


     2 lg Eggs


     1 ts Vanilla extract


 1 1/4 c  Cake flour


   1/2 ts Salt


   1/2 ts Baking powder


   1/4 ts Baking soda


     6 tb Buttermilk



----------------------------CREAM-CHEESE
FILLING----------------------------


     1 pk (8-oz) cream cheese,


          -softened


   1/2 c  Confectioners' sugar


     1 c  (1/2 pint) heavy cream


          Chocolate Meringue Twigs


          -(recipe follows)


    56    Inches decorative ribbon


          -(opt.)


          Fresh sweet cherries (opt.)





 1. Prepare Dried Cherry Filling: In small saucepan, combine dried cherries,


 water, and 2 T sugar. Beat mixture to boiling over high heat; reduce heat


 to low and simmer cherries until soft and liquid is reduced by half. Remove


 from heat and transfer half of cherry mixture to blender or food processor


 fitted with chopping blade; process until a chunky puree forms. Return


 pureed mixture to saucepan with remaining dried cherry mixture; add


 cornstarch and stir until well blended. Heat mixture to boiling, stirring


 constantly; cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 T Marsala


 and the lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.


 


 2. Prepare Coffee Syrup: Combine coffee with remaining T sugar and 2 T


 Marsala; set aside.


 


 3. Prepare Chocolate Cake: In small bowl, stir boiling water and cocoa


 until smooth; set aside to cool to room temperature. Heat oven to 350'F.


 Grease a 15 1/2 by 10 1/2-inch jelly-roll pan and line with waxed paper;


 grease and flour paper.


 


 4. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat sugar and


 shortening until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each


 addition. Beat in vanilla and cooled cocoa mixture.


 


 5. Into small bowl, sift flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add


 flour mixture to shortening mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating


 until batter is smooth. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake 18 to


 20 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed. Cool cake in


 pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack, remove waxed


 paper, and cool cake completely.


 


 6. Prepare Cream-Cheese Filling: In large bowl, with electric mixer at


 medium speed, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar 2 minutes. In


 small bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form; fold whipped cream into


 cream-cheese mixture just until blended. (Do not over-mix.)


 


 See rest of recipe (02)


 


 Country Living/December/92 Scanned & fixed by Di Pahl & 


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini