Elegant Chocolate Torte

Once again we had a birthday at my workplace. These people, they keep having birthdays. Seriously. This cake I was more than happy to make though, because it was for my part time office mate, and I really like her, she makes me laugh. And when I asked her what type of birthday treat she liked, she said all kinds, as long as it didn't have bananas or nuts in it. I could have hugged her for her simplicity and wide range. This allowed me to try a recipe I have been eyeing for a long time but couldn't bring myself to make it for just EC and I, because, in all reality, we shouldn't eat a four layer cake between the two of us. That isn't to say that we couldn't, but we really shouldn't.

I had so much fun making this cake. I loved curling the chocolate - mostly because all of the curls that didn't turn out had to be eaten immediately, or at least that is what I told myself. I thought the cake itself turned out ok. The filling was a homemade pudding, and the only type of pudding I have ever experience was the Jello brand, and I have to say, I am a bigger fan of the Jello brand, so maybe next time, for simplicity's sake I will use boxed pudding. But then I would feel like it wasn't completely homemade. What an internal dilemma.

And the drama with this cake - when I went to Winco to pick up chocolate syrup to make the cake, they didn't have ANY! The entire shelf was empty of all chocolate syrup! They had strawberry, crackle, carmel, hot fudge, but no chocolate syrup. So I had to go to a different store. And then when I got home I found some chocolate syrup in the fridge, which has led me to the conclusion that it is time to clean out the fridge and take stock of what is in there that is usable.

Elegant Chocolate Torte

From Taste of Home

Ingredients:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups milk
1 cup chocolate syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

BATTER:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups chocolate syrup
1/2 cup water

FROSTING:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: For filling, in a small saucepan, combine flour, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and syrup until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring often. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with syrup and water. Beat just until combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake. In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until stiff peaks form; spread or pipe over top and sides of cake. Yield: 16 servings.