Prune Chocolate Torte Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 5 (8 inch) round pans.
• Grind the blanched almonds in a food processor with 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Cream the butter with the remaining 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the almond extract, salt, and ground almond mixture. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Roll each piece between 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the pans, or pat each piece of dough into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pans while still hot.
• To make the Prune Filling: Place the prunes in a saucepan with the water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid. Puree the prunes in a food processor.
• Return the prune puree to the saucepan and add the white sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and 4 tablespoons reserved prune liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat. Assemble the torte layers, spreading them with warm prune filling. Let stand for 24 hours before slicing.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
• Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
• Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

Steps:

• To poach the prunes: Cut them into bite-sized morsels. Put them in a small saucepan with 1/3 cup of the sugar, the lemon zest, and the wine. Set the pan over medium-low heat, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Let the syrup bubble gently and steadily for 15 minutes or so, reducing slowly, until it has thickened and barely covers the shiny poached prunes. Leave the prunes in the syrup to cool completely, then drain through a sieve, collecting and saving the remaining syrup, about 1/4 cup. (You can poach the prunes hours or a day ahead of time and leave them soaking in the syrup. Drain well before assembling the cake.)
• To make the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven, and heat to 350°. Secure the bottom disk in the springform, and grease the inside surfaces with a tablespoon of the soft butter. Stir the bread crumbs and a tablespoon of sugar together. Coat the buttered bottom and sides of the cake pan completely with the crumb mixture, and shake out any loose crumbs.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Put the remaining sugar and butter in the mixer bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream together for several minutes on high speed, scraping down the bowl several times, until light and smooth.
• Beat in the egg yolks one at a time; scrape down the bowl, and fluff up the batter on high speed after incorporating each yolk. On low speed, blend in the dry ingredients, mixing just until completely moistened and incorporated.
• In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt to firm peaks, using the whisk attachment or a hand whisk. Stir in a third of the whites to lighten the cake batter, then gently fold in the remainder. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and spread it to fill the springform in a flat, even layer.
• Scatter the drained prune pieces all over the top of the batter, spaced evenly, covering the whole cake. Put the pan in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes (rotating it after 25 minutes), as the batter rises around the prune pieces. When the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, remove the cake to a wire cooling rack. Drizzle the remaining wine syrup all over the top of the warm cake, and let it cool for 1/2 hour or so before loosening and removing the side ring.
• Serve the torta slightly warm or at room temperature, cut in wedges-plain or topped with whipped cream.