National Mocha Torte Day - May 11th

did you know???
National Mocha Torte Day is May 11th
here's a recipe to help you celebrate... ENJOY!!

Chocolate Mocha Cream Torte

Cake Ingredients:

8 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, melted
8 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans

Mocha Filling Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups Half & Half
1/4 cup butter
2 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/8 teaspoon salt

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish Ingredients:

Sliced strawberries

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 4 (8-inch) round cake pans with aluminum foil leaving 2-inch edge of aluminum foil; grease and flour bottoms only.

Beat eggs at medium-high speed in large bowl until light and foamy. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 1/4 cups flour; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add 1 cup butter and 8 squares melted chocolate; continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add ground pecans; continue beating until well mixed.

Spoon 1/4 batter into each prepared pan; tap lightly on counter to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Cake top is crusty and cake may shrink while cooling.) Cool 5 minutes; using aluminum foil, lift cake from pans. Cool completely; remove aluminum foil. Brush edges of cake to remove crumbs.

Meanwhile, stir together 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan; stir in half & half to dissolve cornstarch. Add all remaining filling ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a full boil (6 to 8 minutes). Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat. Cover surface with plastic food wrap; refrigerate until completely cooled (2 to 3 hours).

Beat all topping ingredients in small mixer bowl at high speed, scraping bowl often, until stiff peaks form. Stir 1 cup topping into cooled mocha filling. (Mocha filling will be very stiff before mixing in topping.)

Place one cake round on serving plate. Frost top only of cake with mocha filling. Top with second cake round and frost with 1/3 mocha filling. Top with second cake round and frost with 1/3 mocha filling. Place third cake round on top of filling. Frost top with remaining 1/3 mocha filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost and decoratively pipe top of cake with remaining topping. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Just before serving, decorate top with sliced strawberries. Store refrigerated.

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