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Rich, dark chocolate gets a chipotle-induced kick in this sweet-and-spicy, peanut-crusted dessert.
Things have been pretty hectic over here lately, and I realized that I'm way behind on sharing out Supper Club recipes!
This was the dessert course for our April dinner. The theme was round. A friend of mine posted a recipe for an Aztec Torte a few weeks prior, and I knew I wanted to take a stab at making one in my tiny kitchen.
The original recipe's instructions were a little tricky for me to follow, so I took a few liberties and made some changes where it made sense. The one thing I didn't do right was that I didn't chop the peanuts finely enough. That resulted in a crumbly (yet still delicious) crust.
I do like that the crust gets pressed into the top of this torte when it comes out of the oven. Then, once it's cooled, you turn it out onto a pan and the topping becomes the base. Pretty cool!
There isn't a whole lot of chipotle in this torte, so I thought I'd amp it up with a spicy, sweet topping. So this fancied up mascarpone was the perfect, creamy addition to this dish. It really complimented the flavors of the torte well and gave an extra layer of heat.
The torte itself was rich, dense and delicious. It was almost like a truffle. Yummm...
This was a big hit with my Supper Club. I think a little more care with the crust next time and this will be a solid, knockout dessert recipe!
Print📖 Recipe
Aztec Torte with Honey Chipotle Cinnamon Mascarpone
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Rich, dark chocolate gets a chipotle-induced kick in this sweet-and-spicy, peanut-crusted dessert.
Ingredients
For Torte:
- ¾ pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup honey roasted peanuts, finely chopped (plus additional for garnish, if desired)
For Topping:
- 8 ounces mascarpone, slightly softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from can of chipotle in adobo)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For Garnish:
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of a springform pan. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan, then insert the parchment and grease it also. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil to make it watertight.
- Heat the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water, whisking constantly once it starts to melt. Whisk until smooth, then remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter and chipotle.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs till they are light and have increased in volume (should take about 2-3 minutes).
- Carefully fold the eggs into the chocolate mix in three batches until no streaks of egg are visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pour about one inch of warm water into a larger baking pan and set the springform in it. Place the pans in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set the torte on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the minced peanuts on the top of the torte, pressing very gently so they will adhere. When the torte has cooled, cover and chill at least four hours, up to overnight.
- To un-mold, dip a knife into warm water, dry it, and run it around the inner edge of the springform. Remove the side of the pan, then hold a large plate over the top of the cake and turn it out over carefully. Remove the plate and parchment paper. The peanuts will now be the crust.
- To make Honey Chipotle Cinnamon Mascarpone, in a medium bowl using an electric mixer or whisk, mix together softened mascarpone, honey, adobo sauce, cinnamon and salt.
- To serve, slice torte into 8 wedges. Dust each slice with powdered sugar and top with a big dollop of mascarpone. Sprinkle on a few additional chopped peanuts, if desired.
Notes
Torte adapted from Cook Eat Share
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 688
- Sugar: 32.6 g
- Sodium: 194.8 mg
- Fat: 54.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 25.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 16.1 g
- Cholesterol: 151.3 mg
Amy (Savory Moments) says
I love the kick of chile in this tart! It looks so good.
June Burns says
Wow what a cake! I love all the flavors in here--spicy chocolate is awesome 🙂
Susan S. Bradley says
What a wonderful Latin-inspired dessert. I love these flavors. 🙂
Heather // girlichef.com says
This looks so rich and inviting...and I just love that it's laced with those seductive flavors. Pass me a slice!
Cookie Named Desire says
A Supper Club sounds like fun! This torte looks amazing, you have my belly growling!
Kate@Diethood says
What is not to love about this?!? This cake sounds incredible!
Chrisy Toombs says
Love the idea of chocolate with a kick! This'll be on my to-bake list for sure 😀
Nutmeg Nanny says
I love chocolate that has a little kick. This torte looks like just the dessert to win people over...yum!
Joanne (eats well with others) says
That mascarpone though. Swooning just thinking about it.