Chocolate Fruit & Nut Cake - Country Living Holidays
Submitted by lnouel
No-bake holiday chocolate cake layered with orange juice-soaked macaroons, bittersweet ganache, chopped prunes, and toasted almonds. Dusted with cocoa and chilled overnight for deep, complex flavor.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
Think of this as a no-bake European holiday torte that tastes like it took all day but barely needs the stove.
Crumbled almond macaroons soaked in fresh orange juice form the base. On top, a layer of rich bittersweet chocolate ganache made with cream and butter. Then chopped prunes, toasted sliced almonds, and a whisper of orange zest, followed by another blanket of ganache.
An overnight rest in the fridge lets everything meld together. The macaroons soften, the chocolate firms, and the prunes plump with moisture. A dusting of cocoa on top finishes it off with an elegant, understated look.
Kitchen Tips
- Toast the almonds in a dry skillet until just fragrant. They’ll continue toasting slightly as they cool
- Chop the prunes into small, even pieces so every slice gets a balanced bite of fruit
- The overnight chill isn’t optional here. The flavors truly need that time to come together
- Unmold carefully using the double-invert method: flip onto one plate, peel the paper, then flip again chocolate-side-up onto your serving plate
Ingredients
Directions
Line bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with waxed paper.
In a small bowl, combine orange juice and crumbled macaroons, stirring to blend and moisten crumbs.
In medium-size bowl, combine almonds, prunes, and orange.
In top of double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate, Remove from heat and beat in butter until melted. Beat in cream until well blended. Spread macaroon mixture in bottom of prepared pan and top with half of chocolate mixture. Top with almond and-prune mixture, then layer with remaining chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. To serve, remove side of springform pan from cake. Invert cake onto plate. Remove waxed paper and invert cake again, chocolate side up, onto serving plate. Sift cocoa over top.
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