这个法式巧克力蛋糕的课程买了有一年了，就是一看到做巧克力和一大堆的字就怕了。巧克力淋酱的蛋糕一直都想学，但是我一动巧克力，整个厨房就会变成战场似的，这里滴那里滴，一大堆道具，盘碗都出动简直乱到自己看了都晕。
终于，勇气，时机来了，把课程资料打印了，开战去。这个法式蛋糕体做法很相近戚风的做法，所以过关。到巧克力淋酱和大理石纹就有点乱，结果也就在乱乱的情况下完成，计时4个小时完工哈哈。。。比lapis还久。
因为原作Alice Medric给蛋糕取了个这么好的名号“示巴皇后”（Queen of Sheba）， 我怎么也得给皇后戴上个黄金才像是皇后，不然黑黑一片的不怎么像皇后。所以啊。。刻意做了两片金叶给皇后做装饰。我用稍微纹路比较深的叶子，涂上白巧克力，凝结后，抹上金油，再洒上金色糖粒就是了。
就因为这个蛋糕啊。。。我再一口气买了好几个课程。（嘻嘻。。也许要等多一年才有另一个蛋糕出来喔）
Ingredients for Torte
170g bittersweet chocolate (I used 40%cacao)
140g usalted butter (room temp, cut into small pieces)
3 tbs rum
1 tsp almond extact
1/8tsp salt
70g almond meal
2 tbs all purpose flour
4 large eggs, separated (room temp)
150g caster sugar (I used 100g)
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Ingredients for Glaze, Marbling and Finish
170g bittersweet chocolate (I used 70% cacao)
8 tbsp unsalted butter, coarsely chopped (I used 113g)
1 tbsp light corn syrup
30g white chocolate (for marbling)
30g milk chocolate (for marbling)
1/3 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
To make the torte:
1. Preheat oven to 190C. Line 8” cake pan with baking paper. Ungrease
the side of the baking pan.
2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, double boil the
chocolate until nearly melted. Remove from the heat, stir until smooth and
completely melted. Stir in rum, almond extract and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolk with 2 tbs of sugar until blended.
Stir in chocolate mixture. Set aside.
4. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed
until soft peak. Gradually add in sugar and continue to beat at high until
stiff (but not dry).
5. Mix in almond meal and flour into chocolate batter. Scoop 1/3 of the
egg whites on top. Fold with a spatula until partially blended. Scoop another
1/3 of egg whites and continue to fold and lastly fold in all the egg whites.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Level the cake batter.
Bake for 25-30 mins or until a toothpick inserted about 1 ½ inch from the edge
emerges almost clean but a toothpick inserted in the centre is still moist and
gooey. (I bake for 40 mins until the cake is cook through). Set the pan on a
rack to cool.
7. The torte rises like a soufflé during baking then falls as it cools.
Run a knife a between the edge of the torte and the side of the pan to detach.
8. Invert the torte so that the bottom becomes the top. Level the cake
so that you get a level surface (Important to do this step so that you can get
a smooth glaze).
To make glaze:
Place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl.
Double boil until almost melted. Remove the glaze from heat and set aside to
finish melting. Stirring once or twice until perfectly smooth.
Cool glaze, without stirring until nearly set and consistency of easily
spreadable.
To glaze and marble the torte:
1. Transfer up to a quarter of cooled glaze to another bowl. Use a metal
icing spatula to spread the transferred glaze over the torte. Crumb coat a thin
layer. Refrigerate the crumb-coated torte about 10mins (do not leave torte in
the fridge for any longer, or else torte will be too cold and glaze will not be
pretty)
2. Melt the white and milk chocolate in two separate heatproof cups on
double boiler. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside until needed.
3. Re-warm the remaining of the cooled glaze until 32-33C. Pour through
a fine strainer.
4. Centre the torte on a turntable. Pour all the glaze on the top of the
centre. Working quickly and turn the turntable. Use just 2-3 spatula strokes to
spread the glaze over the top of the torte so that it runs down over the sides.
5. While glaze still fluid, quickly drizzle the white and milk chocolate
over the top. Use a drag artist’s brush (small brush) through the glaze to
create marble pattern.
6. Leave the glaze to set at room temperature (10-20 minutes). Press
toasted almonds against the sides before the glaze has completely dried.
7. Store and serve at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from: Recipes and
Tales from a Life in Chocolate by Alice Medrich
