Today was (is?) my Dad’s birthday. It’s also summertime and the currants are ripening by the minute. So, for his birthday “party” (ok, it’s just a small group of friends) I made this chocolate torte with red and champagne currants, i.e. Chocolate Monterosa Cake. As I always say, I am not great with cake decoration, but the flavor was amazing!
Ingredients
for the chocolate cake
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (I use a food processor to make almost a powder)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the filling
2 cups fresh red currants
1 cup sugar
4-6 tablespoons cassis
for the ganache and the decoration
3 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 cups red and champagne currants
Directions
First, make your cake. This can be made up to 2 days in advance. To make the chocolate cake. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 8-inch cake rounds with baking spray; set aside. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, ending with the flour.
Fill the prepare cake pans three-quarters full, being careful not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice each cake round in half horizontally.
While your cake is cooling, make your filling. In a small pot over medium heat, combine red currants and sugar. Simmer to make a light jam. Let cool completely. To assemble your cake, cut each of the rounds horizontally, so you have a total of 4. In between each cake layer, add a spoonful of cassis drizzled over the cake, following by current jam. Then add your next cake layer.
For the ganache, in a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate, then remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes without stirring, then stir until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.
Once assembled, pour over the ganache, let drip down the sides and spread evenly. Let harden for 30 minutes in a cool area (not the refrigerator). Decorate with the remaining red and champagne currants on top of the cake and around the base. Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve.
