Happy Fathers Day! It has been raining cats and dogs here all week. I guess it is good because we just came off of a long heatwave filled with grass and forest fires- but it kind of sucks as this was my only day off of work after a six day stretch and I am back at it tomorrow.
Anyway, the wonderful part about his cake is that you can make it in stages and simply assemble it the day you want to serve it! You can make the cake and freeze it days in advance, and take it out the morning you plan on assembling it (actually it is easier to assemble when it is still kind of frozen). And the buttercream can be made a day or two in advance as well! In fact I highly recommend starting this the night before as it takes awhile for the buttercream and assembled layers to chill.
The recipe came from some magazine (either Gourmet or Bon Appetit) years ago, which we have adapted. I no longer have the original recipe unfortunately, so I cannot reference it properly, but if someone else has a similar recipe from a magazine let me know!
Anyway I apologize in advance that I did not take pictures of the assembly or making of each component- the next time I do I will be sure to add them.
Without further ado here is the recipe! Bon appetit!
Pecan Chocolate Torte with Strawberry Buttercream
Prep Time: 1 hour (divided) for making each component, cake assembly will take 12 hours with chill time
Serves: 16 pieces
Equipment: three 9'' round cake tins, standing mixer, food processor double boiler
Cake:
3/4 C butter
2 C white sugar
8 whole eggs
2 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semi sweet chocolate
3 1/2 C pecans halves (or enough to equal 3 1/2 C finely chopped pecans)
1/2 C all purpose flour
Butter Cream:
1 1/4 C unsalted butter
2 C icing sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 C frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed
3 tbsp good quality strawberry jam
Chocolate Glaze:
3 oz semi sweet chocolate
1/2 C water
6 tbsp butter
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
1/2 C + 2 tbsp sugar
For the Cake:
Grease and line 3x 9'' round cake tins with parchment. Set aside. Blend pecan halves in food processor until fine. You don't want them to be a paste, but you want them finely chopped- like what you see on baklava. Set aside.
Melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler until smooth, take off the heat and let cool slightly.
In a stand mixer cream butter and add sugar (slowly) and mix until combined and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, and add vanilla and salt. Stir in the melted semi sweet chocolate, 3 ½ C finely chopped pecans and ½ C flour. Divide into three 9” round cake tins and bake for 22 minutes at 375 F. Knife should come out fudgy and not wet. Remove from pan onto a cooling rack (hint put down a piece of parchment on the cooling wrack to flip it onto- that way it does not stick to the wrack). Let cool completely. If you are going to make these in advance, wrap in clingfilm once cooled and freeze. Take them out just before you plan on assembling the cake.
For the Buttercream:
Cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Mix in the 1 egg yolk until combined, then add the ½ C pureed fresh strawberries and 3 tbsp strawberry jam. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, this helps enhance the strawberry flavor. The day you plan on serving the cake, take the buttercream out of the fridge and leave it at room temperature until it is soft enough to spread.
First Part of the Assembly:
Take one layer of cake and place it down on a cake platter (or whatever you are using to serve it). Spread a generous heap of the buttercream over the surface of the cake, then place another layer of cake overtop. Repeat with the buttercream layer, followed by the last layer of cake. If you have leftover butter cream you can freeze it and use it on cupcakes or soft sugar cookies- or eat it with a spoon. I won't judge :)
Put the assembled cake uncovered in the fridge for 1-2 hours, this will make it easier to spread over the glaze, which you can now start making!
Glaze:
Heat semi sweet chocolate, water, butter, and vegetable oil in double boiler, stir until chocolate is melted and everything is smooth and combined. Remove from heat and add unsweetened cocoa and sugar. Stir until dissolved, then let cool at room temperature until the glaze is thickened and spreadable.
Final Assembly:
Pour the glaze (or use a spatula), over the cold cake. Spread until it covers all sides and the top. Put in back in the fridge for 1-2 hours, and remove 30 minutes before you want to serve. I highly recommend dipping a knife in hot water to slice it a bit more easily. Decorate it with fresh strawberries or pecan halves.
