Name: Болгарский торт «Гараш»
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 1 cake, 16 servings
Cuisine: Bulgarian
Ingredients: For the layers:; 300 g walnut halves; 200 g caster sugar; 6 large egg whites, at room temperature; 1 tsp lemon juice; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp plain flour; For the ganache filling:; 400 g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), finely chopped; 250 ml double cream; 80 g walnut halves, very finely ground; 40 g unsalted butter, softened; 1 tbsp honey; 1 pinch fine salt; To finish:; 60 g dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling; 12 walnut halves, for decoration

Method

10 steps

Heat the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C). Draw four 20 cm circles on baking paper, place them on baking trays, and set aside. Line a work surface with extra paper.
Pulse the 300 g walnuts with 2 tbsp of the sugar in a food processor until finely ground but not oily. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Add the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking to a stiff, glossy meringue, then whisk in the vanilla.
Fold in the ground walnut mixture and the flour with a large metal spoon, just until no dry streaks remain. Divide the mixture evenly between the four traced circles and spread to about 5 mm thick.
Bake one or two trays at a time for 18–22 minutes, until the layers are dry, lightly golden, and lift cleanly from the paper. Cool completely on a wire rack; they crisp as they cool.
For the ganache, warm the double cream in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Pour it over the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir from the centre outward until smooth, then stir in the butter, honey, salt, and 80 g ground walnuts. Cool until thick enough to spread.
Stir the sour cream, ground walnut, butter, honey, and salt into the warm chocolate until glossy and uniform. If it looks loose, chill for 15–20 minutes, stirring once, until spreadable.
Place one layer on a serving plate and spread over a quarter of the ganache, leaving a 1 cm border. Repeat with the remaining layers, finishing with ganache on top. Press very gently so the stack holds.
Chill the torte for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the layers soften slightly and the ganache sets.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top and arrange the walnut halves around the edge. Slice with a warm, dry knife and serve at cool room temperature.

Recipe notes

Helpful tips

Grind the walnuts in short pulses; over-processing releases oil and makes the layers heavy.
Let the ganache cool until spreadable before assembling; chilling briefly is fine, but stir it every 10 minutes so it sets evenly.
A thin crumb coat of ganache on the sides helps the torte look neat, but it is optional.

Equipment

Food processor
Two large baking trays
Baking paper
Stand mixer or electric hand whisk
Heatproof bowl and saucepan for a bain-marie
Wire cooling rack
Offset spatula
Serving plate

Storage

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; the layers soften further over time. Bring slices out 15–20 minutes before serving. Not suitable for freezing once filled.

Additional tips

Contains egg, dairy, gluten, and nuts. The meringue layers are fragile — handle them with a wide spatula. Melt chocolate over barely simmering water and keep any water out of the bowl, or it will seize.

Болгарский торт «Гараш»

Ingredients

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