Sour Cherry Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

We just came into a load of sour cherries from a neighbor. My MIL, Fine has been pitting and jarring them day after day. 

She gifted me with some of the first few jars she made.

I was happy because I have been wanting to make this torte for months.

This is another great recipe from Fine. I had my first taste a while back when she hosted a coffee and cake party for several of her co-volunteers of  Caritas, a local Salvation Army type organization. Fine spent the day prior making some of her delicious tortes and cakes. When I stopped in to say a quick hello it wasn’t long before I had a plate loaded up with slices of everything. All were delicious but this one was my favorite.

Fine calls this recipe Nußboden mit Sauerkirschen which literally translated means, Nut Floor (or base) with sour cherries. Although that would have been a funny title in English, I renamed it and dubbed it a torte.

The cake base layer is simply eggs, hazelnuts and sugar. After baking, melted chocolate is poured over, then a layer of sour cherries and the torte is topped with whipped cream. What’s not to love?

The sour cherry flavor, hazelnuts and chocolate flavors play off each other perfectly and the whipped cream mellows the whole thing out.

I am submitting this to July’s Monthly Mingle hosted by Sips and Spoonfuls. The theme this month is Stone Fruits.

Speaking of cherries, for some reason the ones on our tree here are not good this year 🙁 

But again, we received some from very kind neighbors. They have now been added to the Rumtopf joining the strawberries and red and white currents.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium eggs, separated
• 1+1/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 1+1/2 cups ground hazelnuts
• 1 large jar of sour cherries (Fine preserved them in water so I added an additional 1/2 cup sugar to the cherries. If using already sweetened sour cherries in syrup, don’t add the extra sugar.)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 5-6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• Extra shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles for decoration, if desired.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Grease the bottom of a 8″ or 9″ springform pan and cover the bottom with parchment paper.
• Whip the egg whites until foamy and add the sugar whipping until stiff.
• With a small fork or whisk scramble the yolks together and fold into the egg white/sugar mixture.
• Fold the nuts into the egg/sugar mixture.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
• Pour the cherries into a medium sauce pan and add 1/2 cup sugar, if needed. 
• Bring cherries to a boil and while whisking, add the cornstarch. Keep whisking or stirring until cornstarch is incorporated.
• Turn the heat down and let the cherries simmer for a few minutes until thickened then remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
• Remove cake from oven and cool completely.
• Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the cake and spread it evenly. Let cool.

• When cherries have cooled, add them on top of the chocolate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

• De-pan the cake and transfer to a cake plate.
• Whip cream with the 2 tablespoons of sugar until stiff.

• Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cherries and garnish with shaved chocolate or chocolate sprinkles.