Chocolate-Walnut Torte

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups walnut pieces chopped
• 1.5 cups vanilla wafers crushed (38 cookies)
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 cup butter melted
• 2.3 cups flour all-purpose
• 1.7 cups granulated sugar 
• 0.7 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
• 1.3 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 0.8 cup shortening 
• 1.3 cups water 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2  eggs 
• 1.5 cups whipping cream 
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 5  bay leaves fresh (unsprayed) (such as lemon, grape or rose leaves)
• 0.3 cup semi chocolate chips 
• 0.5 teaspoon shortening 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• baking paper
• oven
• wire rack
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Heat over to 350°F.
2. Place cooking parchment paper or waxed paper in bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans. In medium bowl, mix walnuts, crushed cookies, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.
3. Spread about 3/4 cup mixture in each pan; reserve remaining mixture.
4. In large bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
5. Pour about 1 1/4 cups batter over topping in each pan; refrigerate remaining batter.
6. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Immediately remove from pans to cooling rack; peel off paper. Repeat with remaining topping mixture and batter. Cool completely.
7. In chilled large bowl, beat whipping cream, granulated sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on high speed until stiff.
8. Place 1 cake layer, walnut side up, on serving plate; spread with about 3/4 cup of the filling. Repeat with remaining layers and filling.
9. Or place whipped cream for top layer in decorating bag fitted with star tip number
10. Pipe rosettes in center of cake; garnish with chocolate leaves. To make chocolate leaves, wash and dry leaves. In 1-quart saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Using small brush, brush chocolate about 1/8 inch thick over backs of leaves. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. Peel off leaves, handling as little as possible. Cover and refrigerate torte about 4 hours or until chilled. Store in refrigerator.