Toffee Butter Torte With Chocolate Ganache Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease or spray bottoms and sides of two 9- or 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
• Make, bake and cool cake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds. Refrigerate layers about 45 minutes for easier handling.
• Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until cream is hot. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes or until cool. Stir just until mixture is thick enough to spread but is still glossy.
• Slice each cake layer in half horizontally to make a total of 4 layers. Reserve 1 top layer. Place 1 cake layer bottom, cut side up, on serving plate. Spread with thin layer of frosting; sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Repeat with 2 more layers. Place reserved layer on top, rounded side up. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits on top of cake. Garnish with pirouette cookies. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Whip the granulated sugar and eggs with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Meanwhile, put the coffee, butter, vinegar and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 3 minutes; then whisk together until well-blended. In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; whisk together. Add the oil and sour cream to the bowl with the chocolate mixture and mix well.
• Add a third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well to incorporate. Then mix in half of the chocolate mixture. Continue to alternate with the flour and chocolate mixtures, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally and finishing with the flour. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Fill each pan slightly below the top edge (you may not use all the batter). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the top of each. Bake until the centers bounce back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the toffee sauce: Melt together the butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepot and cook until simmering. Remove from the heat, then add the heavy cream and vanilla, and stir. Return to the heat and allow the sauce to boil for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a metal mixing bowl. Cool completely, then refrigerate.
• For the chocolate ganache: Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ingredients are incorporated. Cool in the fridge until the consistency is like a paste.
• For the buttercream: Add the egg yolks to a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until light.
• In the meantime, mix the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Wet a pastry brush with water and wash down the sides of the pan to avoid crystallization. Continue to cook until the sugar syrup registers 235 degrees F (softball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and, with your mixer running constantly at medium speed, immediately but slowly pour the hot sugar into the egg yolks in a steady stream.
• Continue to beat with the mixer until the mixture cools down completely. Add the butter, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Continue to beat until all of the butter is incorporated and the icing is smooth, glossy and spreadable (see Cook's Note). Add some buttercream to a pastry bag.
• To assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate. With the pastry bag, pipe a border around the top edge of the cake layer for a "frosting dam" to hold in the toffee sauce. Poke holes into the top of the cake layer and pour at least 1/4 cup toffee sauce (or more to taste) over the top so that it penetrates the cake. Then spread a thin layer (about 1/8-inch thick) of ganache over the top. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes to make the ganache solidify. Then spread a layer of buttercream over the top of the chilled ganache. Generously sprinkle some English toffee bits over the buttercream and drizzle with more toffee sauce and ganache. Place the second cake layer on top and ice with the buttercream. Drizzle the top with more ganache and toffee sauce, then sprinkle toffee bits over the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered. Take out of the fridge 1 hour prior to serving, to bring to room temperature.

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a 13x9 pan with foil, extending it 2 inches over the sides of the pan.
• Spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Stir together the mix, water, oil and eggs until well blended.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake according to package directions.
• Cool cpmpletely, about an hour.
• Remove from pan by lifting the foil.
• Cut brownie in half lengthwise.
• Peel one piece away from foil and place on a plate.
• Microwave frosting following directions on the tub.
• Pour half of frosting on top of brownie on the plate.
• Top with about half of the toffee pieces.
• Put other brownie half on top.
• Pour the rest of the frosting on top, spreading if necessary.
• Top with the other half of the toffee bits.
• *The original recipe did not call for toffee, but used 1/2 cup of chopped peanut butter cups on the top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make dough: In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add sugar, flour, and salt; pulse until combined. Add butter, pulsing until coarse crumbs form with no large butter lumps (dough should clump together when pinched with fingers).
• Immediately transfer dough to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a measuring cup, evenly press dough into the bottom and up the sides of pan.
• Bake in center of oven until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Make ganache: Place chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour hot cream, through a sieve, over chocolate. Stir until smooth and creamy in texture. Mix in vanilla.
• Pour chocolate mixture into center of cooled tart shell (if chocolate is lumpy, pass through a sieve). Let stand until set, about 2 hours, or refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place a mixing bowl in the freezer to chill.
• Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook and stir until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Spread the dough evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
• Bake the pastry in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. (The dough will rise and make a boat shape, but should drop as it cools.) Cool completely on wire rack.
• Remove the chilled mixing bowl from the freezer and pour in 2 cups of cold whipping cream. Whip until the cream thickens, about 1 minute; stir in the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue to whip until the cream forms stiff peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream while you mix the pudding.
• Pour the pudding mixes and the milk into a mixing bowl and stir until creamy. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread the filling over the cooled crust and refrigerate.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Bring 1 cup of cream almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow it to soften for 1 minute. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly to thicken, about 10 minutes. Pour the ganache over the cream filling, spreading to cover the entire surface. Return the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• Make the cake layers:
• Line 2 greased jelly-roll pans, 15 by 10 by 1 inch each, with wax paper and butter and flour the paper, shaking out the excess. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg yolks, add slowly 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, beating, and beat the mixture until it is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. Add the chocolate and combine the batter well. In another large bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar slowly, and beat the mixture until it just holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of the whites into the yolk mixture, fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly, and pour the batter into the pans, spreading it evenly. Bake the cake layers in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans, covered with kitchen towels, on large racks. Invert the cake layers onto the racks and remove the wax paper carefully.
• Make the buttercream:
• In a small heavy saucepan dissolve the sugar in 1/3 cup water over moderate heat, stirring, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it until it registers 240°F. on a candy thermometer. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are frothy, add the sugar syrup in a thin stream, beating, and beat the mixture until it is cool. Beat in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, the espresso mixture, and a pinch of salt and beat the buttercream until it is combined well. If necessary, chill the buttercream, covered, until it is firm enough to spread.
• Make the ganache:
• In a large heavy saucepan bring the cream just to a boil and remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir the mixture until it is smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill it, covered, stirring occasionally, until it is cool and thickened, but do not let it solidify. Beat the mixture until it just forms soft peaks, but do not overbeat it or it will become granular.
• Assemble the torte:
• Transfer the cake layers to a work surface, trim the edges, and halve each cake layer lengthwise. On a serving plate arrange one of the cake layers, spread it with one third of the preserved, strained, and spread one third of the ganache over the preserves. Top the ganache with another cake layer and layer the remaining preserves, ganache, and cake layers in the same manner, ending with a cake layer. Spread the sides and top of the cake with a very thin layer of the buttercream and chill the torte for 30 minutes. Spread the sides and top of the torte with some of the remaining buttercream, reserving about 1/3 cup of it for making rosettes, and with a pastry comb or the tines of a fork score the buttercream lengthwise. Draw the back of a knife crosswise across the scored buttercream at intervals. Transfer the reserved buttercream to a small pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, pipe rosettes on top of the torte along the long sides, and intersperse the rosettes with the chocolate coffee beans. The torte may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered loosely and chilled. Remove the torte from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth., For a pourable ganache, cool, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches 85°-90° and is slightly thickened, about 40 minutes. Pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Spread ganache with a spatula if necessary to evenly coat, working quickly before it thickens. Let stand until set., For spreadable ganache, chill, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over cake.

Steps:

• Prepare the crust. Chop/process the wafers and pecans until fine, add enough melted butter to press this into 9 inch spring-form pan along the bottom and halfway up the sides.
• Bake in oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, put aside.
• While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. In double boiler melt the butter and then add the chocolate.
• Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy.
• Pour mixture into the prepared shell. Refrigerate for at least four hours.

Steps:

• Grease three 9-in. round baking pans and line with parchment; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat; cool., In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Pour into prepared pans., Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 24-28 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. In a large bowl, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons espresso liquid; beat until stiff peaks form. Reserve 1 cup for filling; refrigerate remaining mixture for frosting., In another large bowl, combine cheese, salt, and remaining confectioners' sugar, vanilla and espresso liquid; beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold in reserved whipped cream mixture., Place 1 brownie layer on a serving plate; spread with half the filling. Repeat layers. Top with third brownie layer; frost top and sides of torte with chilled whipped cream mixture. Sprinkle toffee bits over top and sides of torte. Store in the refrigerator.