Four Decades of Karl, Russian Style
Karl's Birthday Spread
Karl turned 40 this week, and though he spent his actual birthday pruning the apple trees, on Saturday night we celebrated in style. Karl’s undergraduate degree is in Soviet Studies, and he spent some of his early twenties living in Russia, so we revisited his youth with delights that ranged from black bread and salo (cured pork fat, think Solzhenitsyn in the gulag) to caviar and blini. The boldest among us toasted him with vodka or kvass (thanks Pam!), and we all rocked out to the strains of Kino and Leningrad (thanks Robb!). A fine way to start his fifth decade!
I’ve had several requests for the recipe for his chocolate birthday cake. It’s one of my favorite desserts, from one of my favorite all-purpose cookbooks, New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant. The cake is dense, moist, and richly flavored. We’re still savoring the last few slices….
Moosewood Restaurant’s Russian Chocolate Torte Cake: 1 cup softened (unsalted) butter2 cups sugar 4 eggs, separated 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup mashed potatoes 1 cup ground almonds 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 2 teaspoons baking powder Frosting: 3 tablespoons (unsalted) butter, softened 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons strong, warm, freshly brewed coffee 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted 1 tablespoon strong, dark rum 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Filling: 1/2 cup raspberry butter or jam or 1/2 cup stewed dried apricots, pureed * 16 whole almonds or 1/2 cup slivered almonds Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and then add the next four ingredients, beating until smooth. Mix in the vanilla and rum. Sift together the cinnamon, flour, and baking powder and add to the batter, mixing well. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool about 15 minutes in the pan, then slide a knife between the sides of the cake and the detachable side of the springform pan. Remove the pan. While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. When the cake is cool, carefully slice in in half horizontally and spread the jam or cooked apricots between the layers. reassemble the cake and spread the frosting on the top and sides. Decorate with almonds, if you wish. Russian Chocolate Torte is appropriate for high tea or a late night indulgence. If you have a samovar, you’re all set. If you serve it as dessert, wait a couple of hours after the meal to offer it with tea or coffee. Whatever the occasion, we suggest serving this torte with a little lace and linen.
