6 Eggs; separated
1/4 ts Salt
Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
3/4 c Flour
1/3 c Cocoa
1 pk Instant pudding mix,
-chocolate
1 1/4 c Milk
1 ts Almond extract
1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream
1 tb Light rum
1 6 oz pkg semisweet
-chocolate chips
6 Strawberries
Preheat oven to 350?. Grease and flour 10″ springform pan; set aside. In
large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and salt until soft
peaks form. Beating at high speed, gradually sprinkle in 1/4 cup sugar, 2
Tbl at a time, beating well after each addition until sugar is completely
dissolved. Whites should stand in stiff glossy peaks.
In small bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat egg yolks, vanilla and 3/4
cup sugar until thick and lemon colored. At low speed, beat in flour and
cocoa. With rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold egg yolk mixture into
egg whites. Pour into prepared pan; spread evenly.
Bake 35-40 minutes until top of cake springs back when lightly touched with
finger. Removed pan to wire rack. Cool cake completely on rack.
In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat pudding, milk, almond
extract and 1 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Remove cake from cake pan bottom; with serrated knife, cut cake
horizontally into 3 even layers. Place 1 cake layer on cake platter; spread
with half of pudding mixture; arrange second layer on top; spread with
remaining pudding mixture; top with remaining cake layer. Refrigerate.
In double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, heat rum and 1/2 cup
chocolate pieces until chocolate is melted and mixture smooth. In small
bowl, with mixer at medium high speed, beat 1/2 cup heavy cream and
chocolate mixture until thick, about 15 minutes; use to frost side and top
of torte. Refrigerate
WEDGES: In double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, heat remaining 1/2
cup chocolate chips with 2 T shortening until chocolate is melted and
mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread chocolate
mixture evenly on waxed paper lined springform pan bottom. Refrigerate
until firm, about 10 minutes.
Carefully remove chocolate disk from pan bottom; with cool hands, carefully
peel waxed paper from chocolate disk. Heat blad in long, sharp knife in hot
wate; wipe it dry and cut chocolate into 12 wedges.
Cut torte into 12 wedges. Cut each strawberry in half. On center of each
wedge, arrange a strawberry half, cut side down; then lean a chocolate
wedge on strawberry.
Yields
12 Servings