Caramel-cloaked Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

Total Time: 3 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 2 cups hazelnuts
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs or 3 tablespoons cake crumbs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate or 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 chocolate ganache:.
• 2 in a 2-3 quart pan over low heat, stir 1-1/2 cups chopped chocolate and 1 cup whipping cream until melted and smoothly blended, 8 to 10 minutes.
• 3 let cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache no longer flows when pan is tilted, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
• 4 cake:.
• 5 preheat oven 350ºf.
• 6 place nuts in a 10x15-inch baking pan; roast, shaking pan occasionally, until golden beneath skins, about 10-12 minutes.
• 7 pour nuts into towel and rub to remove loose skins.
• 8 let cool at least 15 minutes.
• 9 set aside 8 completely skinned nuts.
• 10 whirl remaining nuts in food processor until finely ground.
• 11 in a bowl, with mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar, scraping bowl occasionally, until very thick and light colored, about 4 minutes.
• 12 stir in ground nuts, bread or cake crumbs, and vanilla extract.
• 13 in a large bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed until they hold soft peaks.
• 14 gradually, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until egg whites hold short, distinct peaks, about 3 minutes total.
• 15 add half the whites to nut mixture and stir to blend well.
• 16 gently fold in remaining whites, spread batter level in buttered and floured 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim.
• 17 bake until cake is golden brown and springs back in the center when lightly pressed, 25-30 minutes.
• 18 let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• 19 run a knife between cake and pan rim.
• 20 lat cake cool on a rack about 45 minutes.
• 21 with a long serrated knife, split cake in half horizontally.
• 22 gently slide a baking sheet under top cake layer and lift it off.
• 23 spread bottom cake layer evenly with chocolate ganache, slide top layer, cut side down, back in place over ganache.
• 24 caramel cloak:.
• 25 in a 3-4 quart pan, combine 1 cup each firmly packed brown sugar, light corn syrup and whipping cream; 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• 26 bring to a boil over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until mixture reaches 240ºf, 12-14 minutes.
• 27 pour into a 1 qt glass measure and stir occasionally until mixture cools to 150ºf, about 25 minutes.
• 28 stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• 29 pour over cake immediately.
• 30 set cake on rack in a 12x17-inch pan.
• 31 pour about1-1/2 cups warm caramel cloak over cake--enough to coat it--starting at the center and spiraling to edges, letting caramel drip down sides to cover completely.
• 32 arrange reserved hazelnuts evenly around top edge of cake.
• 33 let stand until caramel stops dripping and it is firm enough to cut, about 30 minutes.
• 34 scrape caramel drips from pan back into the measuring cup containing caramel cloak.
• 35 cook, uncovered in microwave at 30% power, stirring occasionally, until warm and fluid, about 2 minutes.
• 36 pour into a nice gravy boat for serving.
• 37 place cake on plate.
• 38 cut into wedges with a sharp knife.
• 39 offer remaining caramel cloak to spoon over portions.
• 40 enjoy, you've earned it!