Chocolate-Vanilla Holiday Torte

Add a touch of elegance to your holiday table with this chocolate cake coated with a white chocolate ganache and topped with a festive white chocolate ribbon and bow.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages semisweet chocolate squares, chopped
• 1 cup butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 3 cups sugar, divided
• 11 large eggs, divided
• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 4 (1-ounce) white chocolate squares, grated
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• White Chocolate Ganache
• Burgundy food paste color
• White Chocolate Ribbons and Bow
• Garnish: silver ornaments

Directions:

1. Line 2 (9-inch) square cakepans with aluminum foil; grease foil.
2. Cook semisweet chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until blended. Cool.
3. Beat 2 cups sugar and 8 eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 minutes or until foamy. Gradually add chocolate mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Pour into 1 prepared pan.
4. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours. Remove from pan, discarding foil. Trim edges, if necessary.
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add remaining 1 cup sugar and flour, beating well. Add remaining 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in sour cream, white chocolate, and vanilla. Pour into remaining prepared pan.
6. Bake at 325° for 1 hour. Turn oven off. Leave cake layer in oven, with oven door partially opened, 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover cake, and chill 8 hours. Remove from pan, discarding foil.
7. Reserve 1 cup White Chocolate Ganache.
8. Place chocolate layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate. Spread with 1/2 cup White Chocolate Ganache, and top with white chocolate layer, bottom side up. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining ganache.
9. Stir desired amount of food paste into reserved 1 cup ganache.
10. Insert metal tip No. 2 into a large decorating bag; fill with ganache. Pipe lace design (continuous string of frosting without touching) on top and sides of cake.
11. Arrange 2 (17- x 2 1/2-inch) White Chocolate Ribbons on cake. Form bow with 1 (13- x 2 1/2-inch) strip; arrange 2 (4- x 2 1/2-inch) strips and 2 (3- x 2 1/2-inch) strips for bow ends. Place 1 (2 1/2- x 1-inch) strip in center of bow for knot.
12. Store cake in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Southern Living
NOVEMBER 2001