A lot of people have had a lot to say about cake.
There was, of course Marie “Let them eat cake” Antoinette.
Julia Child famously quipped “A party without a cake is really just a meeting.”
British PM Boris Johnson stated his position on cake: “My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it.” (What a comedian!)
So…you guessed it!…our theme today on Blue Cayenne is cake.
This time it is a chocolate torte rich with almond flour. Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream next to it and you’ll have a party on your plate.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 C. sliced almonds
- 5 large eggs
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (roughly chopped)
- 1 C. Packed Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 t. Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and position your oven rack in the middle of the oven.
- Spread almond slices on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until they are golden brown. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Stir the almonds once midway through baking. Watch the almonds carefully so that you don't burn them. Cool almonds to room temperature.
- Lower oven temperature setting to 300 degrees F. Prepare a round 9-inch cake pan by greasing it thoroughly or spraying it with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment and grease (or spray) the parchment.
- Crack eggs in a measuring cup and add the vanilla to the eggs. Mix and set aside.
- Measure out 2 cups of toasted almonds and put them into your food processor. Process the almonds for about 20 or 30 seconds watching them carefully to be sure you don't over-process and turn the almonds into almond butter. Once the almonds are finely ground, add the chopped chocolate to the food processor bowl and process until the chocolate is finely ground. You should be able to get this done in fewer than 15 pulses of the food processor. Add sugar and salt and process until combined, scraping the bowl of your processor as necessary. With the machine running, slowly pour in the egg/vanilla mixture. Continue to process until the batter is smooth and well-combined. This should take another 15 to 20 seconds.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with 1/3 C. toasted almonds. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the center of the cake feels firm when you gently press it. I had to give my cake a little extra time in the oven. Ovens vary, of course. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out with sticky moist crumbs attached but not with liquid batter attached.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Using a kitchen knife, run the knife around the edge of the cake to make it easier to release the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment liner. This cake is very moist and tender, so handle it carefully and take your time. Reinvert the cake onto a serving platter.
- Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. The center of the cake will probably be more moist than the outer edges of the cake--a bit like a fudge filling. Serve with a scoop of your best vanilla ice cream.
This recipe is adapted from a Milk Street recipe. You can find the original recipe here.