Minted Chocolate Torte Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 10-inch x 15-inch jelly roll pan by lining with parchment and spritzing with cooking spray. For the cake batter: In a stand mixer whip the eggs until thick and pale yellow. Gradually beat in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Fold into the thick egg mixture. In a measuring cup, whisk together the oil and buttermilk. Fold into the chocolate batter until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 8 to 12 minutes. The edges will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the center will spring back when lightly pressed. Remove the cake from the oven and use a knife to loosen the edges. Lift the cake and parchment paper onto a rack to cool. To prepare the mint filling: In a small bowl stir together the sugar and whipped cream stabilizer. In a large bowl, mix the cream, peppermint oil and green food coloring. Whip the cream until it begins to thicken. Sprinkle in the sugar mixture and continue whipping until the mixture is quite thick and mousse-like. To prepare the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Add the heavy cream and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds, or until the cream is very hot. Whisk together the mixture until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes, to cool and thicken. To assemble the cake: Cut the cooled cake crosswise into four even sections, each a scant 4-inch x 10-inches. Spread three of the sections with 1/4th of the cooled, thickened ganache. Reserve the last 1/4th of ganache for serving. Divide the filling into thirds. Spread or pipe 1/3 of the filling onto each ganache-topped cake section. Be sure to leave one cake section unfilled, to place on top. Carefully stack the three filled sections. Place the fourth (unfilled) section on top, pressing down on the whole stack gently. Wrap the whole torte firmly in plastic wrap. Freeze at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Remove from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and let the cake thaw for about 15 minutes before serving. Reheat the reserved ganache, and pour it over the cake before slicing. Serve cold. Makes 10 to 12 servings. Tips: The whipped cream stabilizer in the recipe can be replaced with 4 teaspoons of Instant ClearJel. For best results, the cream does need to be stabilized, regular whipped cream will not work well for this recipe. 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract can replace the peppermint oil in the recipe. Adjust to taste. Pale pink coloring would also work nicely with the mint flavoring.

Steps:

• Set a roasting pan on lowest rack of oven. Fill pan halfway with water. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Cut parchment paper large enough to cover bottom and to hang over long sides of loaf pan. Place in loaf pan; coat with cooking spray.
• Put chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring, until melted. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
• Put heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
• Put eggs and sugar in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until tripled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold half of the chocolate mixture into egg mixture until almost incorporated; fold in remaining chocolate mixture. Fold in reserved whipped cream and the peppermint extract.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Set loaf pan in roasting pan. Bake until chocolate loses its sheen and appears set when loaf pan is jiggled, about 25 minutes.
• Carefully transfer roasting pan to a heatproof surface. Remove loaf pan from water bath; let cool completely on a rack.
• Pulling up on parchment, remove torte from pan; transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Using an offset spatula, gently loosen torte from parchment and then invert onto a serving platter.
• Using a sieve, lightly dust torte with cocoa. Garnish with fresh and chocolate mint leaves, and whipped cream if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment.
• Melt the butter and pour it into a heatproof bowl, leaving the milky solids behind. Set aside somewhere warm.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whisk the egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add the sugar and the salt and continue to whisk until they form firm, but not dry, peaks.
• In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks until homogenous. Add the chocolate extract, if using. Pour this mixture over the egg whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold to incorporate. Set a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift the cornstarch, cake flour and cocoa powder onto the eggs. Fold these in until no streaks remain. Fold about half a cup of batter into the melted butter, then fold this butter mixture back into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until the surface springs back when touched and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Set on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before unmolding.
• Bring the water and sugar to a simmer over low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves. Allow to steep for around 20 minutes before removing the mint.
• Place the egg whites in one bowl and the confectioners' sugar in another. Dip each mint leaf into the egg whites, then hold the leaf above the bowl for a few seconds to let any excess egg drip off. Next, dip the leaf into the sugar. Give it a little shake to let any excess fall away. Place the leaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside to dry. If your kitchen is hot or humid, place in an oven on the lowest setting and turn off the oven. Let the leaves dry out as the oven cools.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whip the cream until it is billowy. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and whisk to incorporate. Drizzle with whatever source of mint you are using and whisk to incorporate.
• Bring ¾ cup of the cream to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Allow the chocolate to melt for a minute, then whisk to create a smooth ganache. Set aside to come to room temperature. This shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes. If it gets too cold, it will start to solidify, which you don't want. If that happens, warm it up a tiny bit-just enough that it stirs easily.
• In a stand mixer or using handheld electric beaters, whip the remaining cream until you see soft, but structured, peaks. Stir a third of this whipped cream into the ganache to lighten it, then fold the remaining ganache into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Use immediately.
• Slice génoise into two horizontally. Brush both halves of the génoise with the mint syrup. Allow to absorb. Repeat. And repeat a third time. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Slather the bottom layer with the whipped chocolate ganache. Cover with the top layer. Ice this with ganache. Decorate by creating a border of candied mint leaves.
• Serve with a generous dollop of the mint Chantilly.

Steps:

• Combine the butter and chopped cookies and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Refrigerate.
• Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Cool slightly. Mix in the milk until creamy.
• Beat together the powdered sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the chocolate mixture.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the whipped topping. Fold in the remaining whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Spread onto the refrigerated crust. Place back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• When serving, remove the collar from the pan. Serve with the remaining whipped topping.