Birthday torte


M loves chocolate, adores it in fact. He will always make a beeline for the chocolatiest dessert on the menu at dinner, and we always have some iteration of dark chocolate stashed away somewhere in the apartment. So, it seemed appropriate that his birthday cake request was as chocolately as birthday cakes get, in the best way of course. Home for the weekend, we spent a lovely, relaxed evening together, starting with a fantastic dinner at Brooklyn Warehouse, a low-key bistro in Halifax's North End; definitely a culinary gem in the city. Dessert was, of course, M's cake of choice; a luxuriously rich torte made with a sinful amount of dark chocolate and butter, bourbon syrup and just a touch of flour to hold the whole thing together. We paired it with a sweet-tart mixed berry-orange compote, scotch, and 'Blade Runner'.

Bayou chocolate torte with bourbon and dark chocolate, with mixed berry-orange compote (recipe to follow)
From 'Rebar Modern Food Cookbook'

For the torte:

Ingredients
- 12 oz/360 g dark chocolate (I used 72%)
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup bourbon (I used Jim Bean)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 5 eggs
- 2 tbsp flour

Special instruments: springform pan (8") and very large baking dish (large enough that the springform pan sits flat within it)

Prep time: 30-40 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes
Cool overnight

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of the 8" springform pan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil so that it doesn't leak when placed in a water bath. Set aside.

2. Cube butter and set aside.

3. Combine bourbon and sugar and heat gently on low-medium heat until the sugar is just melted (be careful not to ignite the bourbon)!

4. As the sugar is melting, roughly break pieces of chocolate and place in a food processor; pulse until fine. I used a blender for this step; if doing so, make sure to loosen the chocolate periodically to avoid clogging the blades and overheating the blender.

5. If using a food processor, add the hot bourbon-sugar syrup to the chocolate as the food processor is running. If using a blender, transfer the fine chocolate to a large bowl attached to a stand mixer and, using a paddle attachment with rubber sides, add the hot syrup to the chocolate and mix on high speed (8 on my KitchenAid mixer) until chocolate and syrup form a thick paste.

6. Add butter, one piece at a time, as the food processor or blender is running, then add eggs one at a time. Finally, add flour and mix for 15 or so seconds more. If using a blender, run at high speed throughout.

7. Pour batter into prepared springform pan and place into the large serving dish. Fill the dish with water halfway up the sides of the pan and place in the centre of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes.

8. Remove the dish from the oven and cool torte completely in the springform pan on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

9. Before serving, run a sharp knife under hot water and gently run the blade along the sides of the springform pan to loosen the torte; repeat as required to ensure smooth removal from the pan. Carefully invert torte onto a cookie sheet and peel off parchment paper. Invert again onto a serving platter and serve with compote, coulis of choice, or whipped cream; be creative!

For mixed berry-orange compote:

Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh berries (if available) or frozen berries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp Grand Marnier

1. Combine berries, sugar, water and orange zest in a small pot and simmer until berries collapse and liquid is syrupy (about 15-20 minutes).


2. Cool slightly, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Whisk in Grand Marnier just before serving.

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