Chocolate Almond Cake

I like this Chocolate Almond Cake, a great recipe that I adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets cookbook. Just perfect as an afternoon snack or as a decadent dessert with a thin layer of chocolate glaze. It’s not too sweet, light, chocked full of almond flavor with a hint of orange flavored liqueur. Try it.


Recipe adapted from Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan

Chocolate Almond Cake
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

¼ Cup (40 g) Potato Starch
¼ Cup (25 g) Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
1 Cup (3 ½ oz; 100 g) Finely Ground Blanched Almonds
1 Cup (100 g) Confectioners’ Sugar, sifted
2 tsp Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp (15 g) Sugar
1 Stick (4 oz; 115 g) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled

Method

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Butter an 8 x 2-inch (20 x 5-cm) round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper, and butter the paper; dust the entire pan with flour and tap out the excess.

Sift together the potato starch and cocoa and set aside. Leave 1 of the eggs whole and separate the remaining eggs.

Working in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ground almonds, confectioners’ sugar, whole egg, and 3 egg yolks on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and light. Beat in the Cointreau and vanilla, and then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. If you don’t have two bowls for your mixer, transfer the batter to a larger mixing bowl.

Working in a clean, dry mixer bowl, using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar and continue to beat until the whites are firm and glossy. With a rubber spatula, stir one-quarter of the whites into the batter, and then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Very delicately, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding, and then cool to room temperature right side up.

*The Chocolate Glaze
1 Stick (4 oz; 115g) Unsalted Butter
5 oz (150 g) Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped

Bring the butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the pan from the heat and clarify the butter by spooning off the top foam and pouring the clear yellow butter into a small bowl; discard the milky residue at the bottom of the pan. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over-not touching-simmering water, and then stir in the clarified butter.