Chocolate Truffle Torte

 

1

bag (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1/2

cup butter or margarine

1/2

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

4

eggs, separated

1/2

cup sugar

1

package (2 1/2 oz) hazelnuts (filberts), finely chopped, toasted (2/3 cup)

1

bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1/4

cup butter or margarine

1/2

cup whipping cream or hazelnut-flavored nondairy liquid creamer

Whole or chopped hazelnuts, if desired

• 1 Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper or cooking parchment paper. In 2-quart saucepan, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until well blended.
• 2 In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Fold in toasted hazelnuts. Spread in pans.
• 3 Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of cakes appear dry and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around side of each cake to loosen; remove from pan to cooling rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely.
• 4 In 2-quart saucepan, heat 2 cups chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted; remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, just until thick enough to mound and hold its shape when dropped from a spoon. (If filling becomes too thick, microwave on High 10 to 15 seconds to soften.)
• 5 Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup filling. Top with remaining cake layer. Reserve 2 tablespoons filling. Frost side and top of cake with remaining filling. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons reserved filling. (If filling is too thick to drizzle, microwave on High 5 to 10 seconds to soften.) Garnish with hazelnuts.