Best Passover Orange Walnut Torte Recipes

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE-WALNUT CAKE WITH ORANGE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch square cake pan with oil. Line bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Brush parchment with oil.
• In a large bowl, whisk together matzo meal, ground walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and zest. Stir in oil, egg yolks, and orange juice.
• In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy, 1 minute. Increase speed to high; beat just until stiff (but not dry) peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir one-third of whites into batter, then fold in chopped chocolate. Gently fold in remaining whites (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake until cake is golden on top and springs back when lightly pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove cake using parchment and transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Serving: Place cake on a platter. Drizzle with melted chocolate; top with orange rounds and walnuts.

PASSOVER ORANGE WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Beat in orange juice, lemon juice and rind. Add matzo cake meal and potato starch gradually, beating. Beat until combined well. Fold in walnuts gently.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir 1 cup of the beaten egg whites into the orange mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into an ungreased 9 inch tube pan (3 ½ inches deep) with a removable bottom. Bake about 55 to 60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Invert pan over the neck of a bottle, let it cool upside down.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan. Run a knife under bottom of torte to release it.
• Transfer carefully with two spatulas to a serving plate. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

ORANGE-DATE-WALNUT PASSOVER CAKE

Steps:

• Make a sugar syrup by stirring 1 1/2 cups of sugar into 1 1/2 cups of water in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until syrup is reduced to 1/3 of its original volume. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
• Coarsely grate rind of oranges. Then juice oranges, reserving juice and peel, and discarding any pith that remains. Combine reserved juice with enough prepared orange juice to make 2 cups.
• In a bowl, beat eggs with remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add orange juice and oil, and continue mixing. Stir in salt, matzo meal, walnuts, dates and orange peel. Turn into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes or until golden. Cut into 2-inch diamonds in pan.
• Stir liqueur into sugar syrup and pour over hot cake. Let sit a few hours before serving.

HUNGARIAN CHOCOLATE-WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Have all ingredients at room temperature.
• Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or wax paper.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a heavy-bottomed 2-or 3-quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat. Continue boiling and stirring until all the grains of sugar have completely dissolved and the mixture forms a simple syrup. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until light and thickened, about 4 minutes. Grind the walnuts with the remaining sugar and the matzoh meal in a food processor using the pulse motion and stir into the egg yolks. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and combine thoroughly.
• Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites in another bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually fold the whites into the chocolate-walnut mixture, incorporating them gently but thoroughly so that no whites are visible. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until puffed and almost set but still a little gooey in the center. A wooden toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge should come out clean.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack. When completely cool, unmold the cake by running a thin-bladed knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan (or release the springform); invert onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Serve the torte at room temperature.
• If desired, lightly dust with Passover confectioners' sugar. For a lovely, simple presentation, place a doily or a stencil-handmade by you or, even better, your children-over the torte, then sprinkle with the sugar. Carefully remove the doily or stencil.
• Or glaze with the chocolate icing. Lay long strips of wax paper or foil on a cake plate or serving platter and place the cake on top. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Using a spatula, evenly spread the glaze over the top and sides. Now, pull out and discard the paper strips or foil strips--the plate will be clean and ready for serving. If you'd like, garnish with a few walnut halves attractively placed in the center of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for about an hour to set the glaze, but bring it to room temperature before serving.
• The plain or frosted torte is heavenly with generous dollops of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Passover Confectioners’ Sugar:
• In a blender, mini-food processor, or clean coffee grinder, whirl 1 cup minus 1/2 tablespoon regular granulated sugar until it is powdery. Place in a small bowl and stir in 1/2 teaspoon potato starch. Sift before using. (Recently commercial Passover confectioners' sugar, made without cornstarch, has appeared in some stores with large kosher-for-Passover sections. If available, by all means use it here.)
• Chocolate Icing:
• Melt the butter or margarine slowly in a heavy saucepan over very low heat. When half is melted, gradually whisk in the chocolate, stirring well as it melts. After all the chocolate has been added, stir in 2 tablespoons water and beat well until the glaze is completely smooth. Let the mixture cool about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan. Serve at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

WALNUT-DATE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously grease a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan with softened butter or vegetable oil and dust with some matzo meal, knocking out excess.
• Pour hot water over dates in a large bowl and let stand 15 minutes to soften.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until chopped, then add 1/4 cup sugar and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Add matzo meal (2/3 cup), zest, cardamom, and salt and pulse until combined.
• Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a slow stream, beating until whites hold stiff glossy peaks.
• Whisk yolks into date mixture. Fold one third of yolk mixture into whites, then fold in remaining yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Fold all of nut mixture into batter.
• Spoon batter into cake pan and bake until golden and springy to the touch and cake just begins to pull away from side of pan, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.

MOROCCAN PASSOVER TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Without washing the beaters, beat the eggs yolk in a small bowl with the rest of the sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the yolks to the whites but do not stir.
• Add the walnuts and gently fold the ingredients together.
• Do the same with the coconut, one cup at a time.
• Pour the cake batter into a greased 9-inch spring form pan, and bake for 45 minutes until lightly brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Mix together the orange juice and orange liqueur. Pour over the cake while it is still in the pan.
• When the cake has cooled, place it in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.
• Just before serving (add whipped cream here, if desired) garnish with bittersweet chocolate shavings.
• Store in the refrigerator.

PASSOVER CARROT WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Set oven rack at middle of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust with matzo cake meal.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat egg yolks until thick and pale, add sugar gradually, beating. Beat until very thick.
• Add carrots, nuts, vanilla and ¾ cup matzo cake meal. Beat until combined well.
• In a separate bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir ½ cup of the beaten egg whites into the carrot mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites gently but thoroughly.
• Pour into pan. Bake about 40 to 45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edge of pan; remove side of pan.

PASSOVER CHOCOLATE ORANGE TORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F Have ready an ungreased 10 inch tube pan (4 1/2 inches deep).
• Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until very thick.
• Add chocolate, orange juice and rind; beat to combine.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the ground walnuts, cake meal and potato starch. Fold into yolk mixture.
• In a separate bowl with clean, dry beaters, beat whites until foamy. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in chocolate mixture into beaten whites.
• Scrape into pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done. Invert pan over a bottle neck and let cake cool completely (cake will be upside down).
• Prepare the filling:.
• Melt preserves; stir in orange sections.
• Cool for 5 minutes.
• Prepare the chocolate glaze:.
• Heat orange juice until warm. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Cool for 5 minutes.
• Run a knife around edge of pan; remove cake from pan.
• Slice cake in half horizontally.
• Spread orange filling over bottom half of cake. Replace top layer of cake. Coat cake with glaze. Garnish with remaining 1 cup nuts and the orange sections.