Holiday Rum Torte Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Line outside of pan with heavy-duty foil. Combine sugar and hot water in small bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in espresso powder. Melt 1 pound chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch almost simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Let stand until chocolate is almost melted, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from heat; stir until melted and smooth. Stir in espresso mixture. Let cool until slightly warm, not hot. Whisk in eggs one at a time, just until blended. Whisk in 1 tablespoon rum. Pour into springform pan. Place in large shallow roasting or broiler pan; add enough hot tap water to roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until cake is set and center does not move when pan is tapped. Remove pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Run thin knife around edge of pan before releasing sides. Meanwhile, heat cream in small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form around edge. Add 6 ounces chocolate; remove from heat. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted; whisk until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon rum. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until frosting is of spreadable consistency, stirring occasionally. Spread frosting over top of cake, swirling to decorate. Refrigerate until frosting is set. (Torte can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Get your equipment ready (see tips below). Break the chocolate in small pieces into a large heatproof bowl. Spoon in the syrup and pour in about a quarter of the cream. Stand the bowl over (not in) a pan of hot water over the lowest possible heat and leave until the chocolate has melted, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir to combine. Leave until barely warm - dip your little finger in to check.
• Get your cake tin ready. Do this while you are waiting for the chocolate to melt and cool so you're not hanging around. Cut open the plastic folder along the bottom, then cut out a disc to fit in the bottom of the tin and 3 strips to line the sides. (See step 2).
• Pour the rest of the cream into a very large bowl and tip in the coffee and cinnamon. Whip with a balloon whisk until the cream looks like step 3. When you shake the bowl the cream should wobble like a thick milkshake, and when you dribble some cream from the whisk, the trail it leaves in the cream below should disappear in 1-2 seconds.
• Fold the two together. Pour the cooled chocolate into the bowl containing the cream. With the largest metal spoon you've got, fold the cream and chocolate together in a figure-of-eight motion. Don't be nervous - keep going until they are evenly and smoothly mixed and the mixture has a soft, pillowy, downy texture - you will see and feel it thicken as you fold.
• Set the torte. Pour the chocolatey cream into the tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon. Put the tin in the fridge and leave to firm up. This can happen in under an hour, but you may need to leave it longer, depending on the coldness of your fridge (you can leave it overnight if this is more convenient).
• Unmould and serve. Unclip and remove the side of the tin, then remove the pieces of plastic around the sides. Invert a serving plate over the torte and turn the torte upside down on to it. Lift off the tin base and peel away the plastic. Dust all over with cocoa (including the plate if you wish to be fashionable) and serve in thin slices.