Chocolate-Pistachio Torte

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Prep Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs
Servings:
10

With pistachios in the batter and on top, our fudgy cake is truly holiday-worthy.

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

  • 1 ¼ cups sugar

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs

  • ½ cup low-fat buttermilk

  • ¾ cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

For the Chocolate Ganache and Topping

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

  • ¼ cup shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions

  1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

  2. In a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from pan. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs, buttermilk, and pistachios. Fold in flour mixture just until combined.

  3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; run a knife around edge, and invert onto a wire rack. Remove paper, and let cool completely, about 3 hours. (To store, wrap in plastic, and keep at room temperature, up to 3 days).

  4. Make ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer; remove from heat. Add chocolate, and let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Let cool until mixture falls back in ribbons when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 6 minutes.

  5. Set cake on a serving platter; tuck strips of parchment paper under edge of cake to prevent ganache from dripping on platter. Pour ganache onto center of cake; using a table knife, spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes. Remove paper from under cake; sprinkle top with pistachios.

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