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Dessert

Chocolate Cream Passover Torte

A chocolate cake made with cocoa, butter, vanilla, eggs, sugar, almonds, and topped with cocoa whipped cream.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Vanilla and almond match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,961 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Chocolate Cream Passover Torte

Oven350°F
Time18 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the pan

  1. Heat oven to 350°F.

  2. Line the bottom of a 15½ x 10½ x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper or line with foil, extending slightly over the sides; grease the foil.

Make the batter

  1. In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup boiling water until the mixture is smooth.

  2. Stir in 2 tbsp butter or margarine and 1 tsp vanilla extract; let cool.

  3. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and ½ cup sugar; beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  4. Add the chocolate mixture and 1/3 cup finely ground blanched toasted almonds, beating until well blended.

  5. In another large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.

  6. Gradually add the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

  7. Fold ¼ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.

  8. Add the remaining egg whites, folding gently until well incorporated.

  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake and cool

  1. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.

  2. Dust the cake with 1 tablespoon cocoa and cover with a clean dry towel.

  3. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.

  4. Cut the cake into four equal pieces.

  5. Remove the parchment paper or foil before placing the pieces on a serving plate.

Make the cream and assemble

  1. Spread 1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds in a thin layer in a shallow baking pan.

  2. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown.

  3. Prepare cocoa whipped cream by combining 1½ cups cold whipping cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons Hershey's cocoa, and ¾ tablespoon vanilla extract; beat with cold beaters until stiff, reserving 1¼ to 1½ cups for frosting.

  4. Spread the reserved whipped cream on the sides and ends of the cake.

  5. Place one layer on a plate and spread with cocoa whipped cream.

  6. Repeat layering, ending with a final layer of whipped cream.

  7. Spread any remaining whipped cream over the assembled cake.

  8. Garnish as desired.

  9. Refrigerate until serving time.

  10. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

403Calories
8 gProtein
26 gFat
31 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chocolate1 oz (28g) semisweet155
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Almond1 almond (1.2g)7
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Vanilla + almondtop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,961 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  2. Cocoa + vanillatop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together357 recipes

    Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

  3. Vanilla + sugartop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  4. Butter + almondtop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,245 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).

  5. Butter + vanillatop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,050 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Vanilla and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Whipped whites trap air that lifts the batter and gives the cake its light structure.
Sugar
Sweetens the cake and helps stabilize the whipped egg whites into stiff peaks.
Cocoa
Provides the chocolate flavor and deep color of the cake and cream.
Blanched toasted almonds
Adds tender body and nutty richness to the cake crumb.
Butter or margarine
Adds fat that enriches the batter and softens the crumb.
Whipping cream (in the method)
Whipped into a light, moist frosting that fills and covers the layers.

The step that matters

Fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture. Whites hold air only while whipped, so vigorous stirring deflates them and the cake rises less and turns dense. Fold in a few portions with a wide motion until just blended.

Swap the cocoa

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, vanilla, egg, sugar, almond):

  1. Hazelnutfits better
  2. Pistachiofits better
  3. Macadamia nutfits better
  4. Cocoathe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, vanilla, egg, sugar, almond. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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