Fifteen-Minute Magic: Chocolate Gingersnap Torte

This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was selected by Lauren of I’ll Eat You. She selected the beautiful Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart, which you can see from the title of this post, I didn’t make. The tart she picked is lovely, but fairly labor intensive. You poach pears in wine, make a pastry cream, and caramelize pistachios. Lots of good things, but after the Thanksgiving holiday, I just didn’t have time to make it. Check out Lauren’s blog and the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers to see how others faired with this recipe

Instead I am posting this variation of a recipe that was selected in April for Tuesdays with Dorie. I made the cake back then, and it was great! The original recipe called for amaretti, which are great but are hard to find in the store. I had thought about making this with another cookie, and I decided to try it with gingersnaps. The hardest part of this recipe was figuring out how many cookies to use, since I wasn’t sure how many gingersnaps equaled 6 large amaretti. I guessed around 15, and it seemed to work ok.

This turned out really well! It wasn’t quite as soft as the amaretti torte (which was the consistency of softened butter), but it still melted in your mouth. My glaze wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped, and I’m not sure what exactly happened there. It wasn’t that bad, but it looks a little different than when I made the glaze the first time. I made this cake for my friend at work’s birthday and it was a hit. If you are looking for something special, something that’s a bit different, this is the cake for you.

15 crunchy gingersnaps
3/4 cup almonds (I used sliced almonds)
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the Glaze:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with wax paper and butter the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour, tap out the excess and put the pan on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat.

Put the gingersnaps and almonds in a food processor and pulse to grind them finely and evenly. Turn out onto a piece of wax paper and set aside.

Put the butter, sugar and eggs into the processor and process for about 3 minutes, until the batter is very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour in the gingersnaps and almonds and the melted chocolate and pulse just until they are thoroughly incorporated. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out almost clean - streaky is more what you're looking for. The cake will dome slightly and the top will look dry; it might even crack - don't worry. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the sides of the pan and unmold the cake onto the rack. Peel off the paper liner, invert the cake and cool to room temperature right side up. When you are ready to glaze the cake, put the cake, still on the rack, over a sheet of wax paper (the drip catcher).

To Make the Glaze:

Put the chopped chocolate in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup or in a bowl with a spout.
Stir the cream, sugar and water together in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate and wait for 1 minute, then, using a small rubber spatula, gently stir until the glaze is smooth, blended and shiny. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and, with a long metal icing spatula, spread it over the top, allowing it to spill over the sides of the cake; then smooth the glaze over the sides. Press additional gingersnap crumbs around the edge of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set the glaze.

Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan