Trisha Yearwood's Chocolate Torte

By stancec44

Trisha Yearwood’s chocolate torte is essentially a 12-layer vanilla cake that’s smothered with chocolate glaze. A sophisticated dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make.

Ingredients

• For the chocolate glaze
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter (6 oz)
• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules, preferably French roast
• For the cake
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter (8 oz), at room temperature, plus more for the pans
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for the pans

Details

Servings 15
Preparation time 75mins
Cooking time 120mins
Adapted from leitesculinaria.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the glaze
1. [Editor’s Note: Be sure to make the glaze before you bake the cakes.] In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Then stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla, and the instant coffee.
2. Cook the glaze over medium-high heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove the glaze from the heat. When cooled a bit, return to low heat as needed, as the glaze must be warm to spread on the cake layers.

Make the cake
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter and flour at least four 9-inch cake pans.
5. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. In a small bowl, mix the vanilla with the milk. Add the flour to the egg mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
6. Pour a very thin layer of batter—about 7 tablespoons—into each pan, shaking the pans to distribute the batter to the edges. Bake the layers for 11 to 13 minutes. Immediately remove the layers from the pans and, working one at a time, place the layers on a cake stand and immediately frost with the rewarmed glaze. Bake all of the remaining batter in this manner. You should be able to get 12 layers from this recipe. Continue to stack the layers, sandwiching them with glaze, reserving the last of the glaze to dribble over the top of the cake.