Chestnut Almond Torte with Chocolate Cream

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup castor sugar
• 2 1/4 cups sieved, cooked chestnuts
• 3 tbsp rum
• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1/2 cup smooth apricot jam

Cream Filling

• 100g dark chocolate
• 4 tbsp strong black coffee
• 1 cup cream, firmly whipped

Chocolate Icing

• 100g butter
• 125g dark chocolate

Method

1. Butter a 24cm springform tin and dust with flour. Preheat oven to 170oC.
2. Beat yolks and sugar until thick. Gradually add the sieved or riced chestnuts and two-thirds of the rum. Mix well. Beat the whites to snowy peaks, then fold in to the mixture with the ground almonds. Mix gently and pour into the prepared tin.
3. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce oven to 160C and bake for about 35 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle tests clean.
4. Remove outer ring of tin and allow torte to cool.
5. For the cream filling: Chop chocolate into small pieces and melt in the coffee in a bowl over hot water. Stir once or twice until smooth. Cool without refrigeration to stop the filling from setting. When cool, gently combine with whipped cream.
6. Slice cake in half. Spread chocolate filling on one half and sandwich cake together. Refrigerate.
7. For the icing: Chop ingredients into small pieces and melt together in a bowl over hot water. Stir once or twice until smooth. Cool before using.
8. To finish: Melt the apricot jam with the remaining rum either over a gentle heat, stirring, or for 1 minute in the microwave. Spread over the cake and pour the icing slowly over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This cake needs plenty of whipped cream alongside.

*Vac-Packed chestnuts should be simmered in water for 10 minutes, then drained and pushed through the coarse disc of a foodmill.

This was written by Stephanie Alexander and printed in the Epicure section of The Age newspaper Tuesday 4 April 2006. Based on a recipe from Lilly Joss Reich.