Chocolate Mocha Rock Star Torte

I made this recipe one year for Christmas Eve dinner, then it quickly moved up to rock star status when I shared it with my girls. It was a winning recipe from a Pillsbury Bake-off . Being a Pillsbury Bake-off contestant is a fantasy of mine. One that I am having a hard time fulfilling because I never send in any of my recipes. And the folks over at Pillsbury seem to be very strict about that being a prerequisite to winning. A couple of times the winning recipes have been quite similar to ones I have created. This causes my husband to violently bang his head on a wall. He really wants me to kick some Pillsbury butt. It’s not because of the million dollars, either. For real. It’s because he is my biggest fan. He’s nuts about me.

Chocolate Mocha Torte

1 cup whipping cream
1 (12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or crystals
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons water
1 (15.5-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Fudge Supreme Chocolate Chunk Premium Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened


Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 10 or 9-inch springform pan. Heat whipping cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until very hot. DO NOT BOIL. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Set aside. (Mixture will thicken.)

In small saucepan, combine coffee granules, butter and water; heat over medium heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. In large bowl, combine coffee mixture, brownie mix and 1 of the eggs; mix well. Spread batter in greased pan.

Beat cream cheese in small bowl until light and fluffy. Add remaining egg; beat until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the chocolate mixture; blend well. Spread evenly over brownie mixture in pan.

Bake at 350°F. until top springs back when touched lightly in center and surface appears dry. For 10-inch pan, bake 35 to 45 minutes; for 9-inch pan, bake 45 to 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Cool 1 1/4 hours or until completely cooled.

Place torte on serving platter. Spread remaining chocolate mixture over top of torte, letting mixture run down sides. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until chilled. If desired, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Store in refrigerator.
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I lovingly dedicate this rock star to Kim.