One of the chocolate cake recipes in the books I have. A rich full-flavoured and moist chocolate cake for tea. Pretty simple to make and it bakes up evenly. The ground almonds provides moisture to this cake.
I spread chocolate ganache in between the layers before the filling, which made it more chocolatey-intense. Perhaps next time, I would fill the layers with buttercream instead. This recipe will certainly be bookmarked.
Ingredients:
100g/4 oz plain chocolate ...use cooking chocolate
4 eggs separated
few drops almond essence
175g/ 6 oz butter, at room temperature
175g/ 6 oz dark muscovado sugar ...I used brown sugar
175g/ 6 oz self-raising flour
25g/ 1 oz ground almonds
25g/ 1 oz cocoa powder
3-4 tbsp milk
Filling:
150 ml/ 1/4 pint double or whipping cream
3-4 tbsp amaretto or other almond liqueur ...I skipped this one
Topping:
175g/ 6 oz plain chocolate
150ml/ 1/4 pint double cream
50g/ 2 oz plain chocolate, made into curls
8 whole ckinned almonds
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1. Set the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and base-line a 20 cm/8 inch round loose-based or spring-clip cake tin.
2. Break up the chocolate into pieces and put into a heatproof bowl with 4 tbsp boiling water. Melt over a pan of warm water until smooth. Remove from teh heat and beat in the egg yolks and almond essence.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour, almonds and cocoa together, then fold into the creamed mixture with the milk. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold 2 tbsp into the mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remaining egg whites gently.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until firm to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and peel away the lining paper. Slice the cake into three layers horizontally using a long sharp knife.
5. To make the filling, whip the cream in the liqueur until stiff. Use to sandwich the cake layers together.
6. To make the topping, break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently in a heatproof bowl over a pan of warm water. Stir in the cream, then quickly spread over the top and sides of the cake, to give a smooth finish. Press the chocolate curls round the side of the cakewhile still wet.
7. Dip the almonds in any leftover chocolate mixture to coat them. Leave to dry, then roll the nuts in the cocoa powder. Press the almonds into the top of the cake to decorate.
To freeze: Wrap filled cake in foil. Keeps for 3 months. Decorate after thawing.
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