This chocolate almond cake, has a super moist and velvety texture.
It’s the perfect cake for someone who does not want super sweet or a ton of icing, but still wants a beautiful and tasty cake. I recently made it for my mother’s birthday and everyone was impressed!
I adapted this recipe from the “Queen of Sheba” cake in Cakes and Cake Decorating, Step by Step
Ingredients for cake:
- 3.5 oz (2/3 cup) blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 5 oz milk chocolate
- 3 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350, cut parchment paper to fit in 8 inch round pan, and grease the sides with butter.
2. Toast the almonds. Then use a food processor to process the almonds until very fine. Next process the 1/2 cup of sugar until very fine (or use castor sugar). Combine flour, almonds, and 1/4 cup of the castor sugar in a bowl, and set it to the side.
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and the rest of the castor sugar.
4. Melt the chocolate, and then cream it into the butter and sugar mixture.
5. Separate the eggs. Blend the egg yolks into the butter mixture.
6. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form points, then use the extra 2 tbsp of regular sugar to beat into the stiff egg whites.
7. Fold the egg whites and flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating about 1/4 cup at a time. Spoon mixture into cake pan.
8. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Check this cake by sticking a toothpick about and inch or 2 from the edge. You want the middle to stay soft.
9. Remove cake from pan and cool completely.
Ingredients for glaze:
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 8 oz milk chocolate
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Almonds to decorate
1. Bring cream to a boil n a medium sauce pan. Remove from the heat and add chocolate until it is melted through the cream.
2. Beat in the butter until smooth. Wait about 10 minutes for the mixture to cool.
3. Place cake on a wire rack, over a cookie sheet. Pour some of the chocolate over the center of the cake and let it spread out. Then take a spatula and spread chocolate around the outside. Put extra glaze into an icing bag to decorate later.
4. Let the cake with glaze sit for 5-10 minutes to let the glaze get sticky. While waiting, toast and crush the extra almonds. With a spoon or spatula, press the almonds to the sides of the cake.
5. Let cake stand an hour in the fridge to let the glaze set. Then you can decorate it with the remaining chocolate.
Keep the cake refrigerated until you serve it and it will last days in the refrigerator. The cake is kind of involved to make, but it tastes amazing, and has very little flour. It’s the perfect cake for the almond loving ladies in your life!
Happy birthday Mom! Had a blast making this cake for you 
