Toffee Butter Torte With Chocolate Ganache Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Grease three 9-in. round baking pans and line with parchment; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat; cool., In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Pour into prepared pans., Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons espresso liquid; beat until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1 cup for filling; refrigerate remaining mixture for frosting., In another large bowl, combine cheese, salt, and remaining confectioners' sugar, vanilla and espresso liquid; beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold in reserved whipped cream mixture., Place 1 brownie layer on a serving plate; spread with half the filling. Repeat layers. Top with third brownie layer; frost top and sides of torte with chilled whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle toffee bits over top and sides of torte. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make the cake layers:
• Line 2 greased jelly-roll pans, 15 by 10 by 1 inch each, with wax paper and butter and flour the paper, shaking out the excess. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks, add slowly 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, beating, and beat the mixture until it is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Add the chocolate and combine the batter well. In another large bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly, and beat the mixture until it just holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of the whites into the yolk mixture, fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and pour the batter into the pans, spreading it evenly. Bake the cake layers in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans, covered with kitchen towels, on large racks. Invert the cake layers onto the racks and remove the wax paper carefully.
• Make the buttercream:
• In a small heavy saucepan dissolve the sugar in 1/3 cup water over moderate heat, stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it until it registers 240°F. on a candy thermometer. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are frothy, add the sugar syrup in a thin stream, beating, and beat the mixture until it is cool. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, the espresso mixture, and a pinch of salt and beat the buttercream until it is combined well. If necessary, chill the buttercream, covered, until it is firm enough to spread.
• Make the ganache:
• In a large heavy saucepan bring the cream just to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill it, covered, stirring occasionally, until it is cool and thickened, but do not let it solidify. Beat the mixture until it just forms soft peaks, but do not overbeat it or it will become granular.
• Assemble the torte:
• Transfer the cake layers to a work surface, trim the edges, and halve each cake layer lengthwise. On a serving plate arrange one of the cake layers, spread it with one third of the preserved, strained, and spread one third of the ganache over the preserves. Top the ganache with another cake layer and layer the remaining preserves, ganache, and cake layers in the same manner, ending with a cake layer. Spread the sides and top of the cake with a very thin layer of the buttercream and chill the torte for 30 minutes. Spread the sides and top of the torte with some of the remaining buttercream, reserving about 1/3 cup of it for making rosettes, and with a pastry comb or the tines of a fork score the buttercream lengthwise. Draw the back of a knife crosswise across the scored buttercream at intervals. Transfer the reserved buttercream to a small pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, pipe rosettes on top of the torte along the long sides, and intersperse the rosettes with the chocolate coffee beans. The torte may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled. Remove the torte from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Line bottoms only of two 13x9-inch pans with foil or waxed paper; spray with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add cake mix, water and oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Place half the batter (about 2 1/2 cups) in each pan. Spread batter slightly higher in corners than at the center.
• Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Run knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes if necessary. Turn each cake upside down onto clean kitchen towel each sprinkled with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; carefully remove foil. Cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• In medium bowl, beat 3/4 cup of the whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth; set aside.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips and 2 tablespoons whipping cream on High 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 seconds longer; stir until chips are melted. Stir melted chips into cream cheese mixture. Add whipped cream and toffee candy to mixture; stir until well blended. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Trim edges of cakes to make even. Cut each cake in half lengthwise. If necessary, trim top of layers to make flat surface. Place 1 cake piece on serving platter; spread with one-third of the filling (about 3/4 cup). Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake piece. Gently press in sides to straighten; if necessary, trim sides until even. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in remaining glaze ingredients until well blended. Reserve 3/4 cup of the glaze for garnish; cover and let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes or until thick enough to pipe. Meanwhile, microwave remaining glaze on High about 10 seconds or until slightly warm and spreading consistency. Spread over top of torte, letting some drip down sides. Refrigerate torte about 30 minutes or until glaze is set.
• Spoon reserved 3/4 cup glaze into decorating bag fitted with small star tip. Pipe decorative border around top edges of torte. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Torte can be made 2 days ahead; wrap sides tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• For crust: Preheat oven to 350°F Grind nuts with ground cookies and toffee in processor.
• Add 5 tblsps butter, blend until nuts are finely chopped.
• To moisten crumbs, if necessary, blend in 1 tblsp butter.
• Using plastic wrap as aid, press mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan.
• Freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake crust until golden, about 12 minutes.
• Freeze crust.
• For ganache: Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan.
• Remove from heat.
• Add chocolate; whisk until melted and smooth.
• Cool to room temperature.
• For mousse: Whisk sugar, yolks, 1/3 cup water and espresso powder in large metal bowl.
• Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); whisk until candy thermometer registers 160F, about 3 minutes.
• Remove bowl from over water.
• Add nutmeg.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg mixture until cool and thick, about 5 minutes.
• Beat 2 ½ cups cream, liqueur and vanilla in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Fold cream mixture and toffee into egg mixture.
• Spoon half of mousse into crust.
• Drizzle ¼ cup ganache over.
• Using tip of knife, swirl mixtures together.
• Carefully spoon remaining mousse over; smooth top.
• Cover and freeze torte overnight.
• Cover remaining ganache; chill.
• Rewarm remaining ganache over low heat, whisking just until slightly softened but not melted.
• If necessary, let stand until firm enough to pipe.
• Spoon ganache into pastry bag fitted with star tip.
• Run sharp knife around torte pan sides.
• Release pan sides.
• Pipe ganache in lattice design atop torte.
• Pipe ganache in star shapes around border.
• Garnish with almonds.
• Note: This torte can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.
• Freeze until lattice sets, then cover and keep frozen.