Sacher Truffle Torte

To prepare the cherries: Stem and pit the cherries. Put the Grand Marnier in a small non-aluminum pan and add the cherries; bring just to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners. Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water; remove from heat and let cool to body temperature. Combine the flour and almond meal and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled chocolate. With the mixer on low, one at a time, beat in the 5 whole eggs and the 6 egg yolks. In another mixer, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three additions; before the last of the egg whites is completely folded in, sprinkle some of the flour-almond meal mixture over the developing batter and fold in. Continue adding the flour-almond mixture, folding it into the batter. Spread the batter to cover both baking sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

To make the cream: Stir the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is completely melted. Fold the cream into the chocolate mixture in two additions. Fold in the Grand Marnier. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

To assemble the tortes: Slice the crust from the cakes. Cut into 4-inch circles with a steel ring. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 4-inch-diameter, 3-1/2-inch tall molds on the paper. Press a cake circle into the bottom of each mold. Put the truffle cream in a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe a 1-inch layer of cream into each mold. Stud the layer with marinated cherries. Cover with another circle of cake, pressing down gently. Pipe truffle cream over the cake, filling the molds. Smooth the tops. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Set aside the extra cherries, still in the Grand Marnier.

To make the paint and finish: Melt the chocolates over barely simmering water and stir in the cocoa butter until the mixture is thin enough to use in a sprayer. Fill the sprayer with the hot chocolate paint. Unmold the tortes and place on a rack set in a tray lined with parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Spray-paint the tortes. Freeze until ready to use.

To serve: Place a torte on each serving plate. Stand three chocolate flowers in the top of each and place a cherry at the base of one. (Alternatively, dot each torte with a few cherries and dust the tortes with confectioner’s sugar and a little cocoa powder.) Place four cherries around the base of each dessert. Drizzle the cherry marinade around the plates.

Chocolate Flowers

Invert three baking sheets and cover with sheets of plastic. Draw a slightly curved, slender triangle, about 5 inches tall and 1 inch across the base, on a piece of heavy single-ply cardboard. Cut out the drawing, then cut a frame around it, forming a stencil. Bend up two opposite corners to make handles for lifting.

Grate 6 ounces of the dark chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining dark chocolate and melt it in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heating the chocolate to 114 F. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the grated chocolate into the melted chocolate, lowering the temperature. When the temperature reaches 86 F, set the pan on a heating pad set to 90 F. Quickly spread one third of the dark chocolate across a plastic sheet, then draw through the chocolate with the comb, creating straight lines. Repeat with the other prepared sheets. The chocolate you remove can be reused. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.

Grate 6 ounces of the white chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining white chocolate and melt it in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heating the chocolate to 114 F. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the grated chocolate into the melted chocolate, lowering the temperature. When the temperature reaches 84 F, set the pan on a heating pad set to 84 F.

Pour one third of the white chocolate on one of the plastic sheets and quickly spread it out to an even thickness over the lines. Do not stir up the dark chocolate stripes. When the white chocolate just loses its sheen, place the stencil on the chocolate and cut out the design with the tip of a small sharp knife. Repeat to make 12 stems, pulling the extra chocolate away from the stems and leaving them behind on the plastic. Repeat with the remaining chocolate and other two sheets of plastic, making a total of 36 stems. Set aside in a cool place until ready to finish.

Blossoms

Turn 2 baking sheets over and place a sheet of heavy plastic over each.

Grate 4 ounces of the dark chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining dark chocolate and melt it in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heating the chocolate to 114 F. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the grated chocolate into the melted chocolate, lowering the temperature. When the temperature reaches 86 F, set the pan on a heating pad set to 90 F. Quickly spread the half dark chocolate across a plastic sheet. Watch the chocolate; when it loses its sheen, stamp out 20 blossoms with the fluted cutter, pulling the excess chocolate away from them. Repeat with the other baking sheet. The chocolate you remove can be reused.

Grate 6 ounces of the white chocolate and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining white chocolate and melt it in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heating the chocolate to 112 F. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the grated chocolate into the melted chocolate, lowering the temperature. When the temperature reaches 84 F, set the pan on a heating pad set to 84 F. Put some of the chocolate in a small pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Pipe a circle of white chocolate in the center of each blossom.

Turn the stems over on their plastic, revealing the striped front side. Pipe a dot of hot white chocolate at the pointed top of the front of each striped stem and affix a blossom on each. Return the assembled chocolate flowers to the freezer until ready to use.