Chocolate Orange Pecan Torte
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup all-purose flour
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup pecan meal
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the pecan meal, then add the flour alternately with the milk. Add the liqueur, orange zest and the salt and stir to blend.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Remove the cakes from the oven and cool for a few minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing and the filling.
Icing Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 pound confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Pecan halves and chocolate sprinkles for garnish
Filling Ingredients:
4 (1-ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 recipe of the orange icing
For the icing, cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Divide the mixture in half. Set aside.
For the filling, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water. Add half of the icing mixture and mix well to blend. Spread the filling between the two layers of cake and frost the top and sides with the remaining icing.
Decorate the top of the cake with pecan halves and chocolate sprinkles.
