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Chocolate and Almond Cake

Judy

Jenny Odgers

The quantities below are for a single layer cake. Because the cake is quite a shallow one, especially in the 23 cm spring-form tin I use when I am only making one layer, I usually increase the recipe by 50%, i.e. 225 gms chocolate, 150 gms butter etc., and 5 small eggs instead of 3 large ones. If I am making a 2 layer cake, I just double the quantities below. It is a beautifully moist, rich cake and is great topped with cream and strawberries, or just dusted with icing sugar.

  • 150 gms dark chocolate
  • 100 gms butter
  • 100 gms castor sugar
  • 100 gms ground almonds/almond meal
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon rum or brandy
  • 1 tablespoon strong black coffee

Mountain

Break the chocolate into small pieces, put chocolate, rum/brandy and coffee in a small heat-proof bowl and warm (in a cool oven, a microwave or over a pan of hot water) until just melted. Stir mixture well until smooth. Beat the egg yolks well, and separately beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until stiff. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the combined sugar and almond meal, then add the chocolate mixture. Stir over low heat for a few minutes until all the ingredients are blended smoothly together. Off the heat, stir in the well beaten egg yolks and then fold the mixture into the stiffly beaten egg whites until well blended. Pour into a lightly buttered shallow tin* of 18 cm diameter. Cook in slow oven at 325° for 45 minutes or until cooked - test with skewer.

(*I use a 23 cm spring-form tin, cover the base with foil, then lightly grease the foil base and sides of the tin. If I am making a 2 layer cake, I line the base of two 20 cm layer tins with greaseproof paper and grease paper base and sides of the tins)

CAKES/BREADS

1998