Chocolate Chestnut Bourbon Torte
Submitted by PJM
Flourless chestnut and pecan torte with a bourbon-coffee-chocolate filling, bittersweet chocolate ganache icing, and bourbon chantilly cream. Rich, nutty, and deeply warming. The kind of torte that ends a dinner party with a standing ovation.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
35 minCOOK
25 minREADY
60 minThis is not a casual Tuesday night cake. This is a pull-out-the-good-plates, pour-the-bourbon, impress-everyone torte.
The cake layers are flourless, built on chestnut puree and ground pecans with whipped egg whites for lift. They bake up dense and nutty with a texture closer to a French dacquoise than a standard layer cake.
The filling is where things get serious: egg yolks beaten with sugar, instant coffee, chilled butter, chopped bitter chocolate, more chestnut puree, and a splash of bourbon.
A glossy bittersweet chocolate ganache covers the whole thing, topped with chopped pecans.
And because this torte doesn’t do anything halfway, it comes to the table with bourbon-spiked chantilly cream on the side.
Chef Tips
- Use unsweetened chestnut puree, not sweetened chestnut cream (creme de marrons). The sweetened version will throw off the sugar balance completely.
- Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold them in gently. They’re the only leavening in this cake.
- Chill the filling before spreading. At room temperature it’s too soft to hold its shape between layers.
- Let the ganache cool until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon before pouring it over the torte. Too warm and it runs right off.
Ingredients
Directions
Beat 6 egg yolks well. Stir in 1½ cups sugar and 1½ teaspoons bourbon, then blend in 2 cups chestnut puree. Stir in ground pecans. Whip egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold whites into the batter. Divide the mixture between the two cake pans and bake for 25 minutes. Cool on a cake rack, then remove from the pans. 2. Make the filling: Beat the 2 egg yolks with ⅓ cup sugar. Add instant coffee and 1 tablespoon hot water. Beat chilled butter into mixture, then add ½ teaspoon bourbon and remaining ½ cup chestnut puree. Stir in chopped bitter chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 3. Melt bittersweet chocolate with heavy cream over low heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons bourbon, transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 4. To assemble the cake, spread the chilled chestnut filling atop Cover the torte with the chocolate icing and sprinkle the top with chopped pecan pieces. Chill before serving. Meanwhile, prepare a bourbon chantilly to pass at the table. Whip the 2 cups of cream to soft peaks, gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar and then fold in 2 tablespoons bourbon.
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