Chocolate Almond Cake
I ALWAYS use Bournville for this cake: I find it has just the right balance of sweetness and cocoa flavour and it’s a very stable chocolate that is easy to work with. You can, of course, use a good-quality dark chocolate of your choice, but don’t go above about
72% cocoa solids.
Serves 12 / Prep: 45 minutes / Bake: 40-45 minutes
✤ Butter for greasing
✤ 265g Bournville chocolate, broken
into small pieces
✤ 6 medium eggs, 5 separated
✤ 210g caster sugar
✤ 150g ground almonds
FOR THE GANACHE TOPPING
✤ 4 tbsp cherry jam, sieved
✤ 120g Bournville chocolate, broken into
small pieces
✤ 120ml double cream
1
Heat your oven to 180C. Butter a 20cm round loose-based deep cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
2
Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of hot water. Place the pan over a low heat until the chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool a little.
3
Whisk the 5 egg whites in a large mixing bowl until stiff but not dry.
In a separate large clean bowl, whisk the 5 egg yolks, whole egg and sugar together, using an electric hand-held whisk, until thick and pale. The mixture should be thick enough to leave a trail on the surface when the beaters are lifted.
4
Whisk the ground almonds, melted chocolate and 1 tbsp of the whisked egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites, using a large metal spoon or straightedged plastic spatula. Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
5
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the crust that forms on the top is firm and the cake is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Let the cake cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then turn it out, upside down, on to a wire rack covered with a tea towel. Peel off the parchment and leave to cool completely, then turn the cake the right way up on the rack, removing the tea towel.
6
Gently heat the jam in a small pan and then brush it evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
7
To make the ganache, put the chocolate into a bowl with the cream and melt slowly over a pan of hot water, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy.
Allow the ganache to cool and thicken slightly (but don’t let it set), then pour it on to the centre of the cake and allow it to flow naturally to cover the top and sides. You may need to use a palette knife to spread the ganache around the sides to coat them completely. Leave it to set before serving.