Double Chocolate Torte

Even a small piece of this dense, rich cake can satisfy most chocoholics. Serves 20.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. raisins (may substitute chopped dates or dried cherries)
• 1/2 c. whiskey (may substitute coffee)
• 2 c. plus 2 Tbs. chocolate chips
• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. blanched almonds (may substitute other nuts, toasted)
• 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbs. flour
• 1 c. cream
• 1 c. plus 2 Tbs. chocolate chips
• Optional: Confectioner's sugar, cream, and vanilla

Soak overnight: > 1/2 c. raisins (may substitute chopped dates or dried cherries) > 1/2 c. whiskey (may substitute coffee)

Microwave 1 to 2 minutes on medium-high power: > 2 c. plus 2 Tbs. chocolate chips

Stir chocolate until melted. Add soaked raisins.

Whip until soft peaks form: > 6 egg whites

In lg. bowl, fold the melted chocolate-raisin mix into whipped egg whites. Set aside. Meanwhile, beat until thick: > 2 sticks butter, room temperature > 6 egg yolks > 1 1/3 c. sugar

Hand-chop or use a food processor to chop until fine: > 1 3/4 c. blanched almonds (may substitute other nuts, toasted)

To the chopped nuts, add and mix: > 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbs. flour

Fold flour-almond mix into beaten egg white-chocolate mix. Fold yolk-butter-sugar mix in. Butter a 12" round pan, lining bottom with wax paper. Butter again, flour the tin, then pour in batter. (Optional: two 9" round pans will work, but this torte is best as a one-layer cake; using the 9" pans will yield two 1-layer cakes.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Frost cake when cool.

For frosting, microwave 2 minutes or so: > 1 c. cream

Add and stir in until melted: > 1 c. plus 2 Tbs. chocolate chips

Let frosting cool until thick enough to apply, then frost.

For a simple design, make a small bowl of white frosting, using some confectioner's sugar and a touch of cream and vanilla. Drizzle lines across the cake, an inch or more apart. Then take a knife and run it vertically across the horizontal lines, lightly pulling the knife across the top of the cake, making a neat pattern. Continue with vertical lines across the whole cake.

Let frosting set up for an hour or so, then serve.

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