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| Four layers, four times the pleasure. |
This is one of my fanciest and most delicious cakes. I’m taking it to a dinner party, where I have a hunch it will disappear very quickly! Note: You’ll need 8 hr. to make this delicious cake. While that amount of time may seem daunting, chill out! Much of this is refrigeration time. This four-layer party cake actually requires very little work. Read entire recipe before starting. Ingredient listing is presented in sections.
Grand Marnier Chocolate Fudge Torte:
To Prepare the Chocolate Fudge Torte:
1-¾ c. (415 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. (5 mL) baking powder
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) baking soda
½ tsp. (2.5 mL) salt
½ c. (125 mL) cocoa powder
½ c. (125 mL) unsalted butter
1-⅔ c. (390 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla
1-⅓ c. (329 mL) water
¼ c. (60 mL) orange-flavored liqueur
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans; lightly dust with cocoa. Line bottoms with parchment paper, greasing once more. Have all ingredients assembled and at room temperature. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl; set aside.
Using an electric beater, cream butter in large bowl, gradually adding sugar until no graininess remains and creamed mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Add vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low, beating in ⅓ of flour mixture. When flour and creamed mixture are well combined, beat in ½ water. Repeat, ending with flour mixture. Spoon into prepared pans, banging several times on work surface to remove air bubbles. Bake 30-to-35 min., until center of cake springs back when lightly touched or a skewer poked into cake’s center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 5 min. before running a knife around the edge, turning them onto a wire rack.
(When Ron said my knife wasn’t sharp enough to do the job, I gritted my teeth and said: “I’ve been doing it this way, with this knife, for years!” Replied Ron: “Consider the coefficient of sliding friction.” “And what is that?” I asked, becoming testy. “It’s a measurement of the force required to move an object from a static position.” I let him use his $#@% sharp knife. The cake turned out perfectly. Men! Can’t live with em, can’t live without ’em!)
Peel away parchment paper, cooling completely on rack. Slice each cooled cake horizontally, making a total of four layers. Turn the layers cut-side up, sprinkling each with 1 tbsp. (15 mL) orange-flavored liqueur. Wrap and chill each of the four layers.
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| Dust greased pans with cocoa. Lay parchment in pans. |
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| Combine dry ingredients and set aside. |
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| Have eggs at room temperature. |
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| Mix sugar with creamed butter, adding eggs one at a time. |
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| Alternate dry and liquid ingredients. Pour into prepared pans. |
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| Peel parchment from cooled cakes. |
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| Split each layer horizontally in half. |
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| Drizzle 1 tbsp. (15 mL) orange liqueur over each layer of cake. |
To Prepare the Grand Marnier Filling:
¾ c. (180 mL) frozen concentrated orange juice, unsweetened
¾ c. (180 mL) granulated sugar
One 1 tbsp. (15 mL) envelope unflavored gelatin
Zest of two oranges, coarsely grated
¼ c. (60 mL) Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
3-¾ c. (930 mL) heavy (whipping) cream (see Note)
¾ c. (180 mL) icing sugar (confectioners or powdered sugar)
7 orange slices, as garnish
2 tbsp. (30 mL) orange marmalade, as glaze
In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice concentrate, sugar, and gelatin. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved, 4 or 5 min. Remove from heat, stirring in zest and liqueur. Press a square of waxed paper onto the mixture’s surface, refrigerating until no longer warm to the touch but not yet jelled, about 20 min. Meanwhile, whip cream to soft peaks in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Gradually beat in icing sugar. Using a spatula, fold in Grand Marnier mixture.
To Assemble the Torte:
Tip: Multi-layered cakes with frosting between each layer require a brief period of freezing before placing the next layer onto the frosting.
Place one layer of cake, cut-side up, on serving plate (or on foil-covered cardboard circle that will later sit on pedestal cake stand). Spoon ¼ of orange filling into centre of layer, spreading almost to edge of cake.
Repeat with next three layers, ending with filling. Stabilize cake by poking a wooden skewer into its center, ensuring the skewer penetrates all four layers. Snip skewer about an inch above cake using wire cutters. Refrigerate at least 4 hr. so flavors can blend. Midway through chilling, clean up topping that has oozed too far over edge. Decorate with orange slices glazed with a little orange marmalade, slightly warmed to liquify it. Remove skewer before cutting and serving.
