Chocolate Praline Torte — The Thanksgiving with My Brother at the Table

Thanksgiving 2018. Thursday November twenty-second. Cody has been home eleven days. The household’s third six-person Thanksgiving was the first one with him at the table. The crew was the same: Aunt Tammy, Mrs. Tilford, Mrs. Henderson, Mr. and Linda Briggs, Mama, me, and now Cody. Seven people. The two extra place settings I had bought at Goodwill in October.

The dinner went the way the dinners have gone — the turkey, Mama’s dressing, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, the green bean casserole, the cranberry sauce, the dinner rolls. Mr. Briggs gave the toast. The toast this year was, To Cody Moreland and the recipes that find their way back home. Cody nodded. Mama held both of our hands at the table.

And the dessert was a chocolate praline torte from the A Family Feast recipe Mama had circled two weeks ago in the recipe magazine she keeps on the kitchen counter. A multi-layer chocolate cake with a praline filling (caramelized sugar with toasted pecans, cooled to a brittle, crushed and folded into a cream cheese frosting) between the layers, topped with a glossy chocolate ganache.

The math: two boxes of chocolate cake mix doctored with the Kathy improvement, sugar for the praline, pecans, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, semi-sweet chocolate. Total: about $11.40 for an 8-inch round torte that fed seven people.

The technique is the praline (sugar caramelized to amber on the stove, toasted pecans stirred in, poured onto parchment to harden, broken into pieces) and the layered build (cake layer, frosting with crushed praline, cake layer, frosting, cake layer, frosting, ganache poured on top).

Cody ate two slices. He said, after the first bite, Kay, this is the best dessert I have eaten in two years. Mama and Aunt Tammy and Mrs. Tilford were all crying at the table at the same time. Mr. Briggs put a hand on Mama’s shoulder. The dinner ran long. Nobody wanted to leave the table.

The recipe is below. The trick is the praline — toast the pecans first, caramelize the sugar to amber not dark, pour fast onto parchment.

Chocolate Praline Torte

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• For the Praline:
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• For the Cake:
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup hot strong brewed coffee
• For the Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Make the praline. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture just begins to bubble, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in pecans, and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool completely until hardened, then break into small pieces and set aside.
2. Preheat and prepare pans. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.
4. Combine dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Alternate wet and dry. Reduce mixer to low. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Slowly stir in the hot coffee until just combined — batter will be thin.
6. Bake the layers. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
7. Make the frosting. In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Do not overbeat.
8. Assemble the torte. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of chocolate whipped cream over the top. Scatter half of the praline pieces over the frosting. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream. Scatter remaining praline pieces over the top.
9. Chill before serving. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the frosting to set. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 56g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg