A Tasty Valentine

My Valentine doesn't care much about cards. Unlike me, a sappy card doesn't seem to pull at his heartstrings.

"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Yep, that sounds about right, at least around these parts.

This recipe for Decadent Glazed Chocolate Torte is from Artfully Done Across the Generations: Recipes of Carlene Banks and Friends with Art from the Wichita Art Museum. Besides tasty recipes, there are lots of photos of the artwork on display at the museum. One of my friends surprised me with this beautiful book several years ago, and I've enjoyed using it ever since.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I made the torte in a heart-shaped pan. A Valentine you can eat ... that's the preferred method to celebrate around here.

Decadent Glazed Chocolate Torte

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (you may substitute pecans, if you prefer)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
White chocolate or almond bark (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and corn syrup in the microwave. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth (If you need to, you can heat in the microwave again at 70 percent power, taking care not to burn the chocolate.)

Add sugar and eggs to chocolate mixture, and stir until well blended. Stir in flour, nuts and vanilla, mixing well.

Bake in a 9-inch buttered, floured, wax paper-lined cake pan for 35 to 40 minutes or until center springs back to touch. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen and turn out onto wire rack.

Glaze: Prepare glaze by melting all ingredients in the microwave, heating at 70 percent power at 1-minute intervals until it's melted. Take care not to burn the chocolate.

Place a piece of waxed paper under the wire rack. Pour the warm glaze over the cake and spread with a spatula. Chill about 1 hour before transferring to serving dish. Torte freezes well glazed.

If desired, melt white chocolate or almond bark and drizzle over glazed torte with a decorator's tube.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

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Some recipe notes, complete with photos:

When I'm making a layer-type cake like this one, I always line the bottom of the cake pan with waxed paper cut to fit. This is a step I added to the original recipe. For Valentine's Day, the Sweetheart Auction at church or other special events, I often use a heart-shaped pan.

I tore off a piece of waxed paper and then used a pen to trace around the cake pan. Then I used scissors to cut it out.

I put the heart-shaped waxed paper on the bottom of the cake pan before pouring the batter in. I had sprayed the pan with cooking spray before putting the waxed paper in.


This is how it looked in the pan after baking. It is supposed to cool 10 minutes before attempting to remove it.
Even with the waxed paper and going around the outside of the cake pan with a knife, I had a little trouble getting the cake to release. I ended up sticking a small spatula underneath the corner of the cake. That finally did the trick.

But I probably should have dusted the pan with cocoa powder as well (I prefer that over flour if I'm making a chocolate cake.)

After you get the cake out of the pan, simply peel the waxed paper off the bottom.

I put the torte over a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet to catch the drips from the glaze.

After it cooled, I used a decorator tube to make the design. I should have tried harder at the sides so that it would look neater.

But, then again, no one complained about the sides that were less than perfect after they got a taste of the torte.

Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Or enjoy some of these Valentine treats:

 Chocolate Chip Truffles

Cake Ball Truffles

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I'm linked today to Ashley's What's in Your Kitchen Wednesday? Ashley is a Wichita blogger who writes at Kitchen Meets Girl. You'll want to check out what other food bloggers are sharing today.