INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

FROSTING 2    cups powdered sugar 4    tablespoons butter 3
tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder 1/3    cup boiling water  Keep
the chocolate in the freezer until you need it. Let the Jam thaw  out
on the counter.  The hardest part of this is cutting and frosting the
cake. To cut it,  measure the frozen cakee into three equal, stackable
sections. Here  is an illustration:  +---------+ / /! +---------+ ! !_
_ _ _ _!/! ! _ _ _ _ !/!  !_________!/  Mark your measurements with
toothpicks. Turn the cake on its side and  gently cut it into three
layers. Use an electric knife if you have  one! Put the cake back into
the freezer while you complete the next  step.  In a bowl, mix the
ricotta cheese, sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla until well  blended. You may
mix with a spoon or a hand mixer. Take the chocolate  from the freezer
and use a knife to flake off the chocolate into  small chips (about 1/4
the size of chocolate chips or smaller).  Gently mix the flaked
chocolate into the ricotta cheese. You want the  chips to be large
enough that they are just slightly crunchy when  chilled.  Heat your
rasperry jam or other fruity filling on the stove until it  is hot but
not scalding to the touch. Add the rum (Grand Mariner or  Brandy is
also Acceptable) to the fruit filling. Remove from the heat.  Pull your
cake out of the freezer in the interest of a nice looking  finished
product, place the bottom layer of your cake on your serving  plate and
cut four pieces of waxed paper. Put a piece of waxed paper  about 1"
under each edge of the cake, like so:  %%%%%%%%% %%%wax%%% %%paper%%
%%%%%%%%% %%%%%XXXXXXXXX%%%%%  %%%%%XXXcakeXX%%%%% %%%%%XXXXXXXXX%%%%%
%%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%% %%%%%%%%%  don't push it more than about 1" under,
or you will have a hard time  getting it out without ruining the cake.
The paper is there to catch  any drippings from the fillings or
frosting. If you have done this  many times, or if you are very
experienced and have a steady hand,  you can probably omit this step.
On top of the bottom layer, apply 1/3 C of your hot fruity filling.
Start by drizzling some of the syropy part of the mixture, then add
some of the chunky stuff as well. Apply this only to the CENTER of  the
cake, not to close to the edges. Now spread roughly half of the
ricotta filling over the fruit mixture. Put the second layer of cake
on top and use your spoon like a trowel to make the edges nices and
smoothe, using the filling like mortar and the cake like bricks.
Repeat this a second time with the next layer. You should reserve at
least 1/4 cup of the more syropy part of the fruit mixture and a
tablespoon of ricotta. When done, put the whole thing back in the
fridge.  In a deep bowl, mix the coca powder and the powdered sugar
with a  pinch of salt. Melt the butter and blend it into the powdered
mixture  with a hand mixer until it froms little balls. Add the rest of
the  warm fruit mixture (should be 1/4 cup) and the 1/2 tsp vanilla and
blend in HIGH for thirty seconds. Little by little, add boiling water
and mix on HIGH until the mixture becomes smooth and runny enough  pour
(should be thicker than maple syrop or gravy, but not as thick  as
fudge!). Spread this mixture over the TOP of the torte, and let it  run
down the sides, aspecially at the corners. It should be thick  enough
that it does not run all the way down the sides.  Let this cool for a
few minutes and then pull out the wax paper. Use  the remaining ricotta
mixture to make a decorative dallop on top of  the frosting right in
the middle of the torte.  You should cover the torte and let it sit in
the fridge for about 1 hr  before serving. Use a bell or a large bowl
to cover it, NOT saran  wrap! (This tends to stick to the frosting and
ruin the way it  looks.) continued in part 2

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