Search locations or food
OR
Already have an account? Log in
OR
Authentic Torta Garash Recipe
Ruse, Bulgaria
JUMP TO RECIPE
We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
The it Bulgarian chocolate cake, torta Garash is akin to most other Mittel-European coffeehouse cakes, as it was invented around the same time. It consists of five walnut meringue sponge layers spread with chocolate ganache. The assembled cake is covered with a chocolate glaze, and the top is sprinkled with green-colored shredded coconut or ground pistachios. The interesting thing about the cake is that it does not contain any flour, at least traditionally, but today, the sponge layers will have a bit of flour, while the cream will most likely be made with sugar, egg yolks, water, chocolate, and butter.
Cooking tips
-
meringue sponge layers
To get the most volume, make sure that the equipment you're using is grease-free. Also, take care that not a single drop of yolk ends up in your whites, as it will interfere with the foam development. It's important not to overbeat the egg whites. They should only be whisked until soft peaks, or the meringue will crack once baked. As the last step, fold the ground walnuts into the meringue carefully,... Read more -
ganache
Typically, ganache is made with equal parts of chocolate and cream, with no extra ingredients needed. In the case of torta Garash, a bit of sugar is added as well, but you can exclude it or scale down the amount to your liking if you don’t have such a big sweet tooth. -
glaze
The recipe for the cake says you will need just chocolate and a bit of oil to make the glaze, with oil being here to help the glaze glisten more. Opt for couverture chocolate which has a higher percentage of cacao solids and cacao butter than regular or baking chocolate; it also has a shinier sheen and is firmer. Pour the glaze on top of the cake in batches, spreading the glaze by tilting the cake ... Read more -
storage and serving
The cake should be refrigerated once assembled to firm up and kept in the refrigerator until serving time so it doesn’t become too mushy. For cutting the cake more easily, use a serrated knife first dipped in hot water and then wiped dry. Re-dip and wipe dry the knife before each new slice. -
variations
Today, most torta Garash recipes list flour as one of the ingredients for the meringue sponge layers, as flour helps to stabilize the meringue. A chocolate cream made with yolks is also often found in newer recipes instead of ganache. A variation with white chocolate is also popular.
The Original Torta Garash
PREP 50min
COOK 50min
RESTING 2h
READY IN 3h 40min
This original torta Garash recipe dates from 1885 and has all the traditional components — five walnut meringue sponge layers, chocolate ganache filling, chocolate glaze, and for decoration, green-colored shredded coconut or ground pistachios.
Ingredients
MERINGUE SPONGE LAYERS
10 egg whites, room temperature
400g (14 oz) walnuts, ground
200g (7 oz) sugar
GANACHE
400g (14 oz) cream
100g (3.5 oz) sugar
450g (16 oz) dark chocolate
GLAZE
200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
2 tbsp oil
DECORATION
green-colored coconut flakes or ground pistachios
Preparation
Step 1/9
Set the oven to preheat to 160°C/320°F. Prepare five pieces of baking paper, then trace a 26 cm (10”) on top of each.
Step 2/9
Add the egg whites to a large bowl, then, using a mixer, whisk, adding sugar in batches until soft peaks. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, fold in the ground walnuts, being careful not to deflate the foam.
Step 3/9
Now, turn each piece of paper drawn side down, and spread a thin layer of meringue inside each circle.
Step 4/9
Bake each meringue layer for 5-7 minutes, then immediately take it from the oven and peel off the baking paper. Leave to cool completely.
Step 5/9
Meanwhile, prep the filling. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie. Let cool for 5-7 minutes. Then, with the mixer set on low, whip the cream, adding the sugar in batches. While mixing, pour in the melted chocolate in a thin stream.
Step 6/9
Spread each layer with the cream, stack them, and spread the sides. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 7/9
Melt the chocolate for the glaze in a bain-marie, then stir in the oil.
Step 8/9
Put a small amount of the melted chocolate on top of the cake, then tilt the cake to spread it. Repeat until you’ve used up the entire chocolate. Do not spread the glaze; instead, let it drip over the sides of the cake.
Step 9/9
To decorate, sprinkle green-colored shredded coconut in a circular fashion on top of the cake (near the edge of the cake), making a round band of coconut.
Other authentic recipes
Rating And Comments
Rate It
Wanna try?
Add To List