Dessert Recipes - Chocolate Curd Cheese Torte Recipe

Ingredients

• 100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

• 200 g/7 oz/generous 1 cup icing (confectioners') sugar

• 4 eggs

• 15 ml/1 tbsp milk

• 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

• 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup curd (smooth cottage) cheese

• 150 ml/2/3 cup crème fraiche

• 15 ml/1 tbsp coffee liqueur

• 100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (semi-sweet) chocolate

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Method:

1. Line two baking (cookie) sheets with non-stick baking parchment and mark an 18 cm/7 in circle on each. Sift the flour and 100 g/4 oz/2/3 cup of the icing sugar into a bowl.

2. Beat in two of the eggs, the milk and vanilla until smooth. Spread a quarter of the mixture on each circle, spreading evenly with a palette knife.

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Quickly remove from the baking paper and cool on a wire rack.

4. Turn the paper over and spread the remaining mixture on to the other sides to make two more rounds. Bake in the same way.

5. Beat together the butter and remaining icing sugar until light and soft. Separate the remaining eggs. Beat the egg yolks and cheese with half the crème fraiche and the coffee liqueur into the butter mixture. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon. Chill.

6. Break up the chocolate and melt in a small bowl over a pan of hot water (or in the microwave). Spread a little over each biscuit (cookie) round, reserving a little for decoration.

7. When the chocolate has set, place one of the biscuits chocolate-side up on a serving plate. Spread with a third of the cheese mixture.

8. Top with a second biscuit layer, chocolate-side down. Repeat the layers, finishing with a biscuit layer. chocolate-side down. Spread the remaining crème fraiche over the top.

9. Melt the reserved chocolate again if necessary and. using a teaspoon, drizzle it over the top. Chill until ready to serve.