Fiery Chocolate Torte

Chocolate with a spicy spark is a popular dessert trend. For a little less heat, halve the amount of cayenne pepper that is called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:

CAKE
	Nonstick cooking spray with flour
1	small pkg (9 oz or 250 g) devil's food cake mix
1/2	cup (125 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4	cup (50 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2	tsp (2 mL) ground cayenne pepper
1	cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1/2	cup (125 mL) vegetable oil
1	egg
FILLING AND FROSTING
1	pkg (8 oz/250 g) cream cheese, softened
1	cup (250 mL) powdered sugar
2	tsp (10 mL) Korintje Cinnamon
1	container (12 oz/1 L) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1	cup (250 mL) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4	tsp (1 mL) ground cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Torte Pans with nonstick cooking spray with flour. Place 8-in. circles of Parchment Paper over centers of pans; set aside. In Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl, combine ingredients for cake; beat on medium-high speed of electric hand mixer 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Divide batter equally between pans, spreading evenly to edges. Bake 10-12 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove pans from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 5 minutes. Invert one cake onto serving platter. Invert second cake onto cooling rack. Cool completely.
2. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and cinnamon in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth. Fold in 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) of the whipped topping. Place one cake layer well-side up onto serving platter. Spread half of the filling over cake layer. Stack remaining cake layer on top of first, well-side up; spread with remaining filling.
3. Combine remaining whipped topping, chocolate morsels and cayenne pepper in Small Batter Bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 40-60 seconds or until melted, stirring every 20 seconds. Whisk until chocolate is thickened, smooth and glossy. Frost torte with frosting using Small Spreader.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 360, Total Fat 22 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Carbohydrate 39 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 200 mg, Fiber 2 g

Cook's Tips: Place strips of Parchment Paper between the bottom cake layer and the serving platter before filling and frosting the torte to keep the edges of the platter clean.

Allowing the frosting to cool slightly will make it more spreadable.

If desired, 1 3/4 cups (425 mL) of devil's food cake mix from an 18.25-oz (510-g) package can be used for this recipe.