'Scarpe' Diem and a Chocolate Orange Torte

copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
Scarpediem…has become one of my favorite new stores in the center of town here..okay,it has nothing to do with food or the kitchen but is a play on words for the Italian word for shoes-scarpe and the Latin Phrase Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)..all of the Italian designer shoes in one place makes you want to ‘seize the day’ and purchase all the shoes or better yet ‘seize the shoes’….
Italian have an artistic penchant for creating new words to express clearly an idea like
*Capri Diem-(instead of Carpe Diem) expressing love of enjoying the island of Capri
*Cinepanettone ( Combining cine for cinema or movie and panettone-the traditional Holiday bread at Christmas time) to describe films that are released for Christmas.
*Decembrini-to discuss things that are’ December-ish’..for instance a fruit that is not totally mature yet in December can be described as Decembrini or the weather that is typical for December,
*Settembrini-something that may come out in September or is ‘September-ish’. For instance fig trees bear fruit in August  and September..those figs of September  can be described as Settembrini or even the change of the weather or coolness that usually begins in the air to describe the weather as Settembrini.
and there are many others…
 Today I am preparing a chocolate-orange cake..my own version of a Sacher Torte for a dinner on Sunday. The Austrians combine apricot with chocolate in their traditional cake. But Italians love the combination of chocolate and orange..and if you taste them together you will quickly understand why..

Here’s the recipe

Torte di Cioccalata all’Arancia (Chocolate and Orange Cake)
from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition 
*8 ounces baking chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content
*3 tblsps milk
*3/4 cup butter
*3/4 cup sugar
*5 eggs
*1 tsp baking powder
*grated zest of 1 orange
*1 cup flour
Filling:
*1 ½ cups orange marmelade
*1 tsp brandy
Topping:
*8 ounces baking chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)
* 1 cup powdered sugar
*1 cup whipping cream
In a double boiler, melt chocolate with milk, stirring with a wooden spoon. When melted remove from heat and cool. Place softened butter in a bowl and whip with electric beater till creamy mousse consistency. Add in sugar and beat it until you get a creamy blend. Add in cooled, melted chocolate, and flour and baking powder a spoonful at a time. Mix till well blended. Add in eggs, one at a time. Blend well after adding each one. Then add in orange peel. Butter and flour an 8 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes in an oven preheated to350 degrees. Place toothpick in center to be sure cake is done. Remove from oven. Remove cake from pan and let cool. When cool, slice cake in center in half so as to get tow layers.
Warm orange marmelade with brandy. Remove from heat. Spread mixture on one half of cake. Top with other half., Spread orange mixture on top of cake. Let sit.
In double boiler melt chocolate for topping, add in powdered sugar and a few spoons of water. Mix with wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Let cool to warm. Spread on top of marmelade on top of cake and cover sides and entire cake with chocolate mixture. Let cool and chocolate harden. Whip whipping cream and serve each slice with a spoonful of whipped cream
 For more great recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

The book was selected as Best Italian Cuisine Book in the USA by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards