There are few things as simple and traditional as chocolate cake.
I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy a slice of chocolate cake, but I’m sure they’re out there…somewhere. For those of us who would never question a chocolate indulgence, let me introduce you to the torte. A torte is like a cousin to cake; a cousin who flaunts their richness at family gatherings, but you secretly know they’re very nutty on the inside. Weird metaphor? OK, maybe. But tortes are actually filled with nuts, usually ground almonds. See, I wasn’t so far off base, now was I?
You usually see tortes as layer cakes, but I find them much too rich to feast on them back to back by the forkful. A single layer is perfectly acceptable; top with delicious seasonal berries, or a simple dusting of cacao powder and you have an elegant dessert fit for any family gathering…nuts and all.
Let me show you how to make this delectable dessert.
CHOCOLATE ALMOND TORTE
| Makes 1- 8″ Torte |
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup Almond Meal
- 1/4 Cup Cacao Powder (or use fair trade cocoa powder)
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup (50g) Cacao Butter (melted)
- 1 Cup Almond Milk
- 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 320′ F. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, almond meal, cacao powder (or cocoa powder if using), and baking powder together.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, melted cacao butter, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla.
3. Add the liquid mixture to the almond meal mixture and stir just until combined. Pour the batter into an un-greased 8″ round cake pan and bake for 50 minutes or until the top of the cake starts to crack.
4. Cool the cake in the cake pan for approximately 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature with cacoa powder sifted ontop.
Enjoy!
Notes | If you don’t have cacao butter, or can’t find it at your local grocer or health food store, exchange it for coconut oil in equal measure. I prefer the taste of cacao butter in the recipe which helps give it a more authentically chocolate taste and rich texture. The coconut oil variation is just as lovely though; I’ve made and eaten it both ways.
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