Chocolate Torte

Wow, what a weird recipe.  This torte is basically a cooked base (1/3 of the mixture + a tablespoon of breadcrumbs) topped with mousse (the other 2/3 of the mixture).

Modifications? Not really, because I do believe that baking is a science and should be followed as written, however I did use Japanese panko (breadcrumbs) rather than standard ones - a function of what was in the pantry!

I used a springform pan that was a slightly different size (by 1cm) - the springform pans I own are 19cm and 23cm; the recipe calls for a 22cm pan.  1/3 of the mixture was not quite enough to make the base, so I added a couple of tablespoons of the reserved mixture so there was enough.

The base took 25 minutes to bake (the upper end of the time frame given in the recipe) so with an older oven it would probably take longer.  As it was so thin it didn't take long to cool all the way through, even though that has to be done in the pan.

Then I brought the reserved mixture back up to room temperature and piped it on.  In the book the torte is then dusted with cocoa, but I did icing sugar which I think also looks good.

My gripe? That the mousse topping did not look nearly as rich and chocolatey as it does in the book.  This is the second chocolate dessert that I have made from this book (the other was many months ago) and again, it doesn't look like the picture.  Usually I wouldn't be too fussed, but the savoury dishes have generally looked much like the book, so I am surprised that the desserts don't.

Would I make this again? Probably not.  It was very sweet and really looks like it comes from the 1980's - not that I was eating dessert then!  Actually, it is acknowledged that there was a version of this dessert in Vogue Entertaining & Travel in the 1980's!