The recipe comes from my friend Gabriele, who has been making it as her go-to special occasion cake for her family for 30 years. The cake is almost flourless, having only 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, and has a lovely texture from the ground walnuts and whipped eggs. To make the mocha frosting, you start with a base of strong coffee (I use decaf and double the amount of coffee I would normally use for drinking), sugar, some cornstarch, and a few chocolate chips. These ingredients are simmered until thick, then cooled and folded in with stiffly whipped cream. The result is a light, creamy frosting with a lovely chocolate coffee mocha flavor. The original recipe is a clipping that a friend of Gabi’s gave her years ago. I investigated the clipping and found that the recipe was published in a local newspaper in the late 70s as part of a menu celebrating the opening of the John Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California. The original clipping instructions are rather sparse, so I’ve elaborated here to help ensure that you have a successful result if you make the recipe. It’s actually much easier than it looks at first blush, but it does require some baking skill around whipping egg whites and gently folding things together. Think of it like making a sweet soufflé, with ground nuts in the batter. A light touch will be rewarded. Continue to stir while the mixture simmers for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract until well blended. Let cool completely. (You will incorporate this mocha base into whipped cream when you frost the cake.) Carefully invert the cakes onto a rack. Carefully peel back and discard the parchment or wax paper. Let cool completely. Note that if you want to make ahead, you can cook the cakes first, let cool to room temp, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze until you are ready to frost and serve. It may be a little speckled, and if you fold it only lightly, you can have almost a marbling effect of light and dark with the frosting, if you wish. Place one cake on a serving platter. Frost the top. Place the second cake on top of it, and frost the top and sides of the cake. Serve immediately, or keep chilled until serving. Mocha Nut Torte - the original clipping Chocolate Walnut Tweed Torte from Fine Cooking
