White Chocolate Espresso Torte with Hazelnut Praline

where did a 3.5 forks rating come from? This got many poor reviews (and stopped me from making it)

• rowekq

• chicago, il

• 12/18/2013

My daughter made this cake for her father's birthday; we all loved it!

• idepivaral

• 11/19/2012

I made this cake for my mother's birthday and it was quite good, if not entirely to my taste as I'm not much of a white chocolate fan. My fairly low rating is due to some issues I have with the recipe. Unlike some other reviewers, the cake part of mine came out perfectly. I imagine that that's due to the fact that I ignored the part where the recipe says you only need to beat the mixture for 7 minutes to reach the ribbon stage. With my handheld beaters it took around 25 minutes for my batter to thicken up sufficiently. Like another reviewer, I made 1 1/2 times the amount and baked it in a half sheet pan as I didn't have the correct size pan. I trimmed the layers to size using my pizza cutter, which worked very well. Another problem I had with the recipe is a typing mistake in the ingredient list for the mousse. The last ingredient should simply be "2 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder". I did figure that out before I made any mistakes, but I can see how something bad might happen if someone doest question the strangeness of what's written. Issue #3: the recipe makes WAY too much ganache and soaking syrup if you use the recommended amounts per layer when assembling the cake. It's really a waste of ingredients. Something else that bothers me is that when the cake is topped with those giant white chocolate curls it's extremely difficult to cut without making a big mess. It looks absolutely stunning, but in the very unlikely case that I make this torte again I will be topping it with smaller chocolate shavings. Besides making cutting difficult the thick pieces of chocolate have a very overwhelming flavor. Even my boyfriend, who loves white chocolate, agreed on that point. One last thing I suppose I should mention is that this cake would probably go together more easily in cooler, non-humid weather. It was 90 degrees and humid while I made this and I had to stash everything in the fridge at several points through the assembly process to keep the mousse from melting.

• notjessica

• Queens, NY

• 5/29/2012

I can't stand it when I read a bunch of reviews and everyone has a problem with the product but there are no solutions listed! So I am posting my solution. My cake (on the first try) came out paper thin. I had beaten it for over 10 minutes and it still didn't thicken up much but I didn't want to overbeat it so I soldiered on and baked it up - no good. Take two - I made the cake again but this time used my stand mixer (with the whisk attachment) and I continued to beat it until it actually reached the ribbon stage. Because my stand mixer is so much more powerful than my hand mixer it reached the proper stage in about 10 minutes or so. It was pale and extremely thick. When the whisk is lifted, the batter falls slowly back onto the surface of the mixture, forming a ribbonlike pattern that, after a few seconds, sinks back into the batter. I also had issues with my praline - but I'm praline challenged. The first try it was undercooked and grainy - take two was slightly burned but a nice texture. I recommend using a candy thermometer and making sure you keep the sides wiped down with a wet pastry brush - if crystals form on the sides of the pan it will make the praline grainy.

• JGirotti

• Southborough, MA

• 5/17/2012

Many inconsistencies in the instructions, however, an experienced baker can easily overcome the poorly written instructions. The torte was divine and created an exceptional presentation. Divide the soaking syrup into 4 parts and then use instead of using the recommended amount on each layer. Spread the soaking syrup and ganache on each cake layer before stacking, otherwise the mousse is pressed out on the lower layers of the cake. I will absolutely make it again!

• Anonymous

• Monmouth, Maine

• 2/3/2011

Have not made this but would like to try it - looks great. Just an idea for the cake problem: I'm going to add 1 tsp. baking powder with the flour. Comes from an ancient Betty Crocker recipe I've always used for any cake of this type. Bet it solves the texture/volume dilemma.

• melthebiker

• Michigan

• 1/5/2011

This is a fabulous dessert. I made it for a party with two other fab desserts and this was the outstanding favorite. BUT-I made an error (twice) and baked the cake in what I consider a jelly roll pan (a cookie sheet) assuming that it was 10 X 15. Of course, both times the cake came out flat and rubbery. When I finally figured out my mistake and made the cake in a make-shift 10X15 inch pan, it came out perfectly. So, take note, and make sure that you make it in a 10X15 inch pan. I though that the recipe insturctions could have alerted me that a standard jelly roll pan is not 10X15.

• Tersa

• Eugene, OR

• 1/3/2011

Gorgeous cake! Made it for Christmas and it was beautiful and delicious. It is time consuming. Made the curls and praline one day (had to make praline twice as it burned on the recommended heat). Next day the mousse and ganache, and finally finished it day before Christmas. I also couldn't find expresso powder so I used a mortal and pestal using instant expresso. The cake layer didn't look good but after it soaked up the syrup in the layers, it all came together in a WOW dessert. Best dessert I ever made. Everyone still raving.

• Anonymous

• Newport, RI

• 12/29/2010

Gorgeous cake! Made it for Christmas and it was beautiful and delicious. It is time consuming. Made the curls and praline one day (had to make praline twice as it burned on the recommended heat). Next day the mousse and ganache, and finally finished it day before Christmas. I also couldn't find expresso powder so I used a mortal and pestal using instant expresso. The cake layer didn't look good but after it soaked up the syrup in the layers, it all came together in a WOW dessert. Best dessert I ever made. Everyone still raving.

• Anonymous

• Newport, RI

• 12/29/2010

这道菜从灾害学的诱人的照片trous looking cake in my kitchen. I am a very experienced baker and have to agree that this recipe is very poorly written. It should instruct that the mousse be made first, as it needs to refrigerate for at least 6 hours before using, and the ganache should be second. My cake shrank quite a bit and unevenly at that- and was also quite rubbery. The mousse was still very soft, so soft that in combination with the rubbery cake, it wouldnt cut cleanly and the mousse squished out the sides. The next day was a bit of a different story. The mousse hadnt set up any better so the cake was just scooped with a spoon because it had softened quite a bit and had lost most of the rubbery texture. The flavors had mellowed and blended and tasted better than the day before. The flavors are quite nice and are very tiramisu-like so for future attempts, I will probably use the components of this recipe with another cake recipe and make other adjustments based on my personal taste. I recommend that anyone attempting this recipe first make the mousse, then the ganache (which, by the way, is fabulous), soaking syrup, cake and praline in that order, and also make it a day before serving, adding the praline and white chocolate curls just before serving. Also, although the picture doesnt show the powdered sugar/espresso mix sifted over the top, I recommend it (I used cocoa powder instead of the espresso powder); it added to the visual appeal.

• Anonymous

• Frederick, MD

• 12/29/2010

我的蛋糕结果惊人!对于那些评论家who had trouble with the cake portion, did you use the correct pan size? My sheet pan measures 12x18 instead of the 10x15 called for in the recipe. I used 1.5 times the cake recipe for my pan, which made the cake layers look exactly like the photo. Looked fantastic, tasted marvelous. Company was impressed.

• Anonymous

• Portland, OR

• 12/27/2010

This is the most poorly written and poorly organized recipes I've ever encountered. It's full of inconsistencies, foolishness, and actual mistakes. I did manage to make a tasty dessert out of it, but only because my cooking experience helped me interpret what the recipe meant. The cake is peculiar, but that didn't really matter in the final product. Next time I'll probably use a biscuit or pan di Spagna recipe instead. Since I'm not normally a white chocolate fan I flavored all of the mousse with espresso. Had no trouble with it being too thin. Recipe calls for 2/3 c Kahlua, even though you are directed to use two tablespoons per cake layer - so why not call for 1/2 cup instead? After tasting the mousse I was afraid the dessert would be too sweet, but it wasn't. I would have given it 3 stars if not for the poor quality of the recipe.

• Anonymous

• Gaithersburg, MD

• 12/26/2010

Ugh! I just spent ALL day working on this. I also so wish I had read reviews first. Each individual element - except the cake - is pretty good. But the cake is definitely rubbery and thin. The mousse is also not thick enough when layering. Half of my cake slid off when I put it in the refrigerator. It sure looks pretty, but do not attempt it.

• golfrette

• Columbus, OH

• 12/24/2010

I just took the cake out of the oven. I'm glad I checked the reviews before I tried a second time. The cake is paper thin. The picture shows cake between layers. With mine you will never see the cake. There must be a piece missing. Won't bother trying the cake again. Will have to come up with a substitute for the cake. Any suggestions?

• bhirdrn

• 12/24/2010

How horrible! Wish I'd read the other reviews before trying this. The cake, as with others, was thin and rubbery, totally unusable.This is supposed to be for our family Christmas party. I have a reputation of bringing fabulous desserts, but this year I'll have nothing. What a disaster. And yes, I also tried twice thinking I'd done something wrong.

• rowekq

• chicago, il

• 12/24/2010