Grand Marnier Chocolate Fudge Torte

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.

Dust greased pans with cocoa. Lay parchment in pans.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside.

Have eggs at room temperature.

Mix sugar with creamed butter, adding eggs one at a time.

Alternate dry and liquid ingredients. Pour into prepared pans.

Peel parchment from cooled cakes.

Split each layer horizontally in half.

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. 

Note: You can use a commercial whipped cream stabilizer to firm up whipped cream, or easily make your own stabilizer. 

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.

Assemble all ingredients before starting.

Add powdered gelatin to granulated sugar.

Combine with thawed orange juice concentrate.

Have liqueur and orange zest ready ... No tippling!

Press waxed paper orange solution; refrigerate.

Add cooled orange solution to softly whipped cream.

Fold in by hand.

Use a quarter of orange-flavored cream for each layer.

Repeat with each layer.

Clean up oozing cream after mixture starts to set: As
photo shows, I neglected to do that! Temporarily 
stabilize layers with long wooden skewer: Remove
 before cutting and serving cake.