PASSOVER CHOCOLATE APRICOT TORTE

By darylsueb

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa
• 5 eggs separated
• 2 tbs. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup blanched almonds, ground
• 3 tbs. matzah cake meal
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• whole almonds, optional
• CHOCOLATE FROSTING
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and all the cocoa; stir until well blended. Cool.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thickened. Gradually add cocoa mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in water and vanilla. Combine ground almonds and cake meal; add half the mixture to the chocolate batter. In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until foamy, gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff. Add remaining nut mixture. Fold egg white mixture into the chocolate batter in three additions.

Divide batter into prepared cake pans. Center pans in the oven and bake 30-35 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack 10 minutes; cake settles slightly. Remove cake from pans to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Place one cake layer on a serving dish. Heat and strain apricot preserves; discard solids. Spread melted preserves over bottom layer and set remaining layer on top. Spread chocolate frosting over the top and sides of torte. Garnish with whole, toasted almonds, if desired. Refrigerate until serving. Once chilled, cover in plastic to freeze. NOTE: If freezing cake before serving, do not frost prior to freezing. Defrost cake before frosting.