Chocolate glazed torte with Sephardi syrup

Chocolate glazed torte with Sephardi syrup. Recipe (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times / March 21, 2012)

March 31, 2012

 

Total time: About 2 hours, plus cooling time

Servings: 8

Note: Matzo cake meal (sometimes labeled matsah cake meal) is available at well-stocked supermarkets and at kosher markets. If you are serving the cake at a kosher meal that includes meat, use nondairy margarine to grease the cake pan.

2/3 cup (90 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) hazelnuts

1 cup almonds (5.3 ounces)

1/4 cup matzo cake meal (1 ounce)

1 cup sugar (7.2 ounces), divided

4 eggs, separated

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Pinch of salt

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil such as grapeseed or safflower oil, divided

About 2 cups Sephardi syrup

8 strawberries (about 5½ ounces)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven until the skins begin to split, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a strainer.

2. Rub the hot hazelnuts energetically with a towel against a strainer to remove some of the skins. Cool the nuts completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons nuts for garnish.

3. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. If you would like to turn the cake out instead of leaving it on the springform pan's base, line the base with a round of foil and grease the foil.

4. Grind the hazelnuts with the almonds, cake meal and one-fourth cup sugar in a food processor, stopping to scrape down a few times, until very fine.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks with one-half cup sugar until the mixture is pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.