Name: Chocolate Rye Torte
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 5 eggs (separated); 1/2 cup & 1/4 cup sugar (separated); 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/3 cup about 40g dark chocolate; 2 Tbsp uncooked farina; 1/2 cup crushed rye crispbread; pinch cream of tartar; 2 cups heavy (whipping cream); 1 tsp vanilla extract

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This recipe was originally inspired by The Finnish Cookbook by Beatrice Ojakangas, which features a recipe called “Rye Chocolate Torte”. I had never seen anything quite like it, and I was intrigued. It was delicious. I’ve tinkered with it a bit, but the idea is the same. In my informal research (aka inquiry on Finnish culture forums & Facebook groups) I’ve yet to find a native-born Finn who recognizes this recipe, so I doubt I can call it authentically Finnish, but it can definitely be enjoyed by those who appreciate Finnish cuisine and flavors.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This torte is unusual in a super fun way. The cake layers are delicate and textured, but almost hearty in flavor-which pairs perfectly with gobs upon gobs of sweet whipped cream. Most likely, it’ll be a departure from your go-to dessert recipes- take a chance on something new! You’ll be glad you did. This torte also looks elegant, but comes together very easily.

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Tools & Equipment for Chocolate Rye Torte

Mixing bowls
Handheld electric mixer
Measuring cups and spoons
Spatula
Two 8 inch round cake pans
Parchment paper to line cake pans
Ziploc bag & rolling pin to crush crispbread
Sharp knife or grater to cut or shred chocolate

Ingredients for Chocolate Rye Torte

5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup & 1/4 cup sugar, separated: some goes in the layers, some in the whipped cream.
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup (about 40g) dark chocolate: I highly recommend getting a pretty decent bar for this, such as a Lindt dark chocolate bar. It really brings it to the next level!
2 Tbsp uncooked farina: I use plain old Cream of Wheat, but you can certainly find some without the added vitamins if you prefer.
1/2 cup crushed rye crispbread: About 4 pieces of the Wasa crispbread is usually about right!
pinch cream of tartar: helps the egg whites form stiff peaks
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

The Process: How to Make Chocolate Rye Torte

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease or butter two 8 inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside. I recommend a pretty generous greasing- these layers will be wont to cling to the pan more than you’d like.

Place your crispbreads (4 of the classic ones tends to be about right) inside a ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush finely. Cut your chocolate bar into fine shards (my preferred method), or grate it, and set aside.

Place 5 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with handheld beaters for 3-5 minutes, until creamy and very light yellow. Add cinnamon, cloves, farina and crispbread to the yolk mixture and gently fold in with a spatula until well mixed.

In a separate mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to beat the 5 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Very gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until fully combined.

Spoon half of the dough into each prepared cake pan. Gently spread to ensure it will bake evenly. I usually wind up with about 240 grams of batter in each pan, but this will vary slightly based on the size of your eggs.

Bake

Bake 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned. The edges tend to brown pretty quickly. Let the layers cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then gently turn out onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper, if using. Be careful! These layers are pretty fragile. Allow to cool fully.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla extract with handheld beaters until stiff peaks form. This may strike you as a gigantic amount of whipped cream-it is. In my opinion, this is exactly the ratio of whipped cream to cake that you want in this particular situation.

Place one torte layer on a plate or cake stand. Spoon about half the whipped cream onto it (slightly less if you want to cover the sides- I usually don’t).

Place the second layer on top of the whipped cream and spoon the rest on top. Spread to cover the top of the torte and, if you want, the sides. Grate additional dark chocolate on top of the torte, if desired.

Enjoy!

Have a generous slice as soon as possible!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Should I Serve and Store Chocolate Rye Torte?

Serve in big fat slices on a cute plate!

This keeps pretty well, covered with plastic, in the fridge for a couple days.