Hungarian Chocolate Torte Rich Decadent Dessert

This simple Hungarian chocolate and walnut torte makes a dessert for any occasion.

This recipe comes courtesy of one of my favorite fellow foodies and chocolate lovers, my mother-in-law.

One of the key ingredients to this decadent cake is red wine, which adds a rich fruity flavor that enhances the chocolate flavor.

What kind of pan to use for Chocolate Torte?

The original recipe calls for using a 9x13 pan, but you could also use a springform pan if you want a more dramatic presentation.

I made a half recipe in a 1.5 quart casserole dish, which was plenty for my family of three.

Does the wine cook off?

Not entirely. But, I had no problem letting my child have a piece.

Baking for an hour can reduce the alcohol to 25% according to this Food Network article. That leaves about 1.5 ounces of wine in the entire cake, which serves 6-8, meaning less than a tablespoon of wine per serving.

But if you completely forego alcohol, I have substitutions in the next section.

Ingredients and Substitutions for Hungarian Chocolate Torte

• walnuts
• dry red wine
• sugar
• bread crumbs
• semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
• large eggs

Allergic to walnuts or just don't care for them, use pecans or almonds instead. If you are allergic to those as well, sunflower seeds would probably be the best alternative, but I have not tried it.

For an alcohol free torte, use an alcohol free red wine or cranberry or pomegranate juice (preferably without added sugar.

The recipe calls for a whopping 1 teaspoon of bread crumbs to give just a little body to the torte. Use gluten free bread crumbs for a gluten free dessert or crushed matzoh for a lovely leavener free Passover dessert.

Since you need to separate the eggs and whip the whites for volume, using an egg replacement could be difficult. If you try it and are successful, please leave a comment to let us know.

Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

 

• 1 cup walnuts
• ¾ cup dry red wine
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine bread crumbs
• 6 ounces good quality semi sweet or dark chocolate chips (or bar cut into pieces)
• 6 large eggs

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan or 13x9x2 inch pan. Set aside.
• In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts until almost flour like.
• In a small saucepan, combine wine, sugar, breadcrumbs, nuts and chocolate. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until chocolate has melted, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and cool.
• Separate eggs. Whip whites until they reach the stiff peak stage (the mountain formed when you pull out the beater stays upright).
• In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks until light. Add cooled chocolate mixture.
• Gently fold in the egg whites just until combined. Pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake at 325° until the center is set, about 1 hour.
• Let cool completely. Serve with your choice of powdered sugar, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, shaved chocolate, etc.

Sound fabulous? Share it!

More Torte Recipes

Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey