Chocolate and Raspberry Banded Ice Cream Torte

By flavorofvanilla

A very rich ending to a good meal. This recipe is relatively simple, but time consuming - be sure to plan out each layer ahead of time.

Ingredients

• Torte:
• 14 tablespoons butter, each tablespoon cut into four pieces
• 9 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate (like Valrhona), coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups pasteurized egg whites
• 1 (12-ounce) package frozen black raspberries, thawed
• 1 tablespoon Chambord or other raspberry liqueur (optional)
• 1 quart high-quality vanilla ice cream (like Häagen-Dazs)
• Syrup:
• 8 ounces fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from theflavorofvanilla.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Grease a 8-inch springform pan. In a double boiler over medium heat, add the butter and chocolate. Mix together with a whisk until melted thoroughly - don't overheat or the chocolate will separate from the butter. Once it is combined, remove the bowl from heat and add the sugar. Cool the mixture for at least 5 minutes, and then slowly pour in the pasteurized eggs while whisking. Once it is homogenous, hit the bowl hard on the counter a few times so the bubbles come to the surface and pop.

Pour a third of this chocolate mixture into the springform pan and swirl until it is evenly distributed. Place into the freezer for 30 minutes, or until solid. Once it is solid, place the ice cream into a large food processor and add the black raspberries. Process until all the raspberries are broken up and distributed through the ice cream evenly. Spread half of the ice cream evenly on top of the chocolate, then place into the freezer for 15 minutes or until hard. Store the remaining ice cream in the freezer. Once the torte layer is solid, pour on another third of the chocolate mixture and swirl until evenly distributed. Freeze 30 minutes, then add the remaining chocolate and freeze an additional 15. Finally, add the remaining chocolate on top and freeze for at least 6 hours.

Before serving, pour hot water into a towel and surround the springform pan for 30 seconds. Pop open the springform and remove the torte. Place back into the oven so the melted sides can set up again before it's served. While waiting for it to cool down again, take 6 ounces of the fresh raspberries (leaving the rest for decoration) and place into a small saucepan with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place over medium heat and stir with a spoon until the raspberries have broken up releasing the syrup. Pour into a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds and skin. Cool in the refrigerator before serving. Remove the torte from the freezer 15 minutes before cutting to let it warm up a bit. Using a knife warmed by running under hot water, cut the slices of torte and serve with a spoonful of syrup and a few raspberries on the side.