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recipe

Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Torte

Note: For best results, you will want to bake this torte using the water bath method. See here for step-by-step instructions.

Yield: 12 servings 1x
Prep: 25 minsCook: 50 minsTotal: 1 hour 15 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons melted butter, for preparing the pan
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 pound (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup bourbon
  • Whipped cream and strawberries, for serving

Instructions

  1. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-Inch Springform Pan with melted butter. Cut a large single sheet of aluminum foil – making sure that it is wide enough to surround all sides of your springform pan. (We recommend using extra wide aluminum foil if it is available rather than two narrower pieces of foil to avoid any chance of leaking.) Wrap the pan, making sure that the sides of the pan are fully covered by the foil. Also make sure that you don’t tear the foil as you wrap it. Set pan aside.
  2. In a small dry skillet, lightly toast the pecans over low heat. Let cool, then using a mini food processor, grind the pecans until uniform sized crumbs. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Please butter and chocolate pieces in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring and being careful not to brown the butter or scorch the edges of the melting ingredients. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
  5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs just until they are broken up. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes or until the mixture triples in volume. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
  6. With a wooden spoon, fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, and then do the same for the pecans and bourbon – stirring just until all of the ingredients are evenly mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
  7. Place the springform pan inside a baking pan that is large enough to hold the pan and also large enough to allow for water to surround the springform pan. Then, carefully add about an inch of very hot water to the baking pan so it surrounds the pan, being careful not to splash any water into the prepared pan with the torte mixture. (You want to add enough water to the pan to ensure that the water does not fully evaporate during the baking process.)
  8. Bake the torte for 40-45 minutes or until it is just set in the middle. (The top will crack when it settles if you over bake the torte.) Carefully remove the springform from the pan of hot water, and place the pan on a rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, leave the torte in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
  9. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan. Slice into 12 thin wedges. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries.

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Notes

If you’d like to make the glaze that was part of the original recipe, here are the instructions:

Ingredients:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Instructions:
In a saucepan, melt all ingredients over medium heat, being careful not to brown the butter or scorch the edges. Stir to combine.
Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the glaze over the chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides of the torte. (Use an offset spatula if necessary to ease the glaze over the top and sides of the cake.)
Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes.