Double Chocolate Almond Sponge Cake with Almond Topping and Swiss Meringue Vanilla Ice Cream
A chocolate cake dessert recipe that evolved out of a mashup a couple of flourless chocolate cake and sponge cake recipes and various central European torte methods.
For a long time I never found a chocolate cake recipe I was happy with. Many used cocoa powder alone for the chocolate component and variously ended up too dry, too claggy, too fudgy, not chocolatey enough, too crumbly, too heavy and so on. Also am not crazy fond of chocolate sponge cakes that use the creamed butter, sugar eggs add self raising flour or baking powder method and particularly like Continental cakes using highly beaten eggs as the rising agent and ground nuts with or in place of flour.
No filling as prefer plain, but with a crackly almond caramel topping. The ice cream is adapted after Stella Parks Klondike bars copy with a Swiss meringue base as a vanilla ice cream base that I make a lot.
For the Ice Cream
Make at least a day before
Makes about 1 quart/litre
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
100 g granulated raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
smallest pinch of fine sea salt
250 g heavy whipping cream
60g/2 tablespoons milk, any type
1-2 teaspoon best vanilla extract
Instructions
Place egg whites, sugar, salt and creams of tartar in a bain marie or bowl placed over simmering water and stir with a whisk until the temperature reaches 74C/165F, remove from heat.
Whisk egg white mixture until very thick and glossy and meringue like, about 5 minutes.Set aside.
In another bowl beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Add and beat in the vanilla and milk to the meringue mixture, then add the whipped cream whisking until incorporated.
Scrape into a container and freeze overnight or longer.
For the Cake
For one 6-8" cake or double for 10-12"
Line a spring form cake pan with parchment paper
Ingredients
100g/3.5oz dark chocolate 85-90% or unsweetened
5 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 teaspoons creme de cacao
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
150g/5.3oz sugar of choice (I use raw granulated), divided
120 g/4.3oz ground almonds/almond flour
Instructions
Melt chocolate, set aside.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and half of the sugar until stiff and glossy like meringue, set aside.
In another bowl, beat egg yolks, add remaining sugar and flavours and beat until thick and light in colour.
Mix in and combine the melted chocolate, then the ground almonds.
Fold in the egg whites meringue into the mixture a quarter at a time until just incorporated.
Scrape into prepped spring form pan. Bake at 325F/165C or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, around 60 minutes.
Invert and cool for an hour or longer before removing from tin. Allow to cool thoroughly.
For the topping
Ingredients
200g/7oz raw granulated sugar
225g/8oz sliced almonds
60g bittersweet or dark chocolate
1 teaspoon cognac
1/2 teaspoon amaretto
Instructions
Have the cake ready.
Lightly toast the almonds and set aside.
Melt the chocolate and stir in the liqueurs, set aside.
Place the sugar in a small heavy saucepan on a low heat and allow to melt and lightly caramelise without stirring, turn off the heat and quickly add and gently stir in the toasted almonds to coat evenly.
Quickly scrape out the almond mixture onto the top of the cake, distributing evenly, and gently press down the topping with a spoon or spatula before mixture cools.
When the topping has cooled, melt the chocolate and stir in the liqueurs. Set aside for a minute or two to cool slightly then dot or drizzle over the cake topping. Allow to cool
To serve, slice cake through topping with a sharp knife. Serve with a scoop of ice cream as wished.
A chocolate cake dessert recipe that evolved out of a mashup a couple of flourless chocolate cake and sponge cake recipes and various central European torte methods.
For a long time I never found a chocolate cake recipe I was happy with. Many used cocoa powder alone for the chocolate component and variously ended up too dry, too claggy, too fudgy, not chocolatey enough, too crumbly, too heavy and so on. Also am not crazy fond of chocolate sponge cakes that use the creamed butter, sugar eggs add self raising flour or baking powder method and particularly like Continental cakes using highly beaten eggs as the rising agent and ground nuts with or in place of flour.
No filling as prefer plain, but with a crackly almond caramel topping. The ice cream is adapted after Stella Parks Klondike bars copy with a Swiss meringue base as a vanilla ice cream base that I make a lot.
For the Ice Cream
Make at least a day before
Makes about 1 quart/litre
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
100 g granulated raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
smallest pinch of fine sea salt
250 g heavy whipping cream
60g/2 tablespoons milk, any type
1-2 teaspoon best vanilla extract
Instructions
Place egg whites, sugar, salt and creams of tartar in a bain marie or bowl placed over simmering water and stir with a whisk until the temperature reaches 74C/165F, remove from heat.
Whisk egg white mixture until very thick and glossy and meringue like, about 5 minutes.Set aside.
In another bowl beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Add and beat in the vanilla and milk to the meringue mixture, then add the whipped cream whisking until incorporated.
Scrape into a container and freeze overnight or longer.
For the Cake
For one 6-8" cake or double for 10-12"
Line a spring form cake pan with parchment paper
Ingredients
100g/3.5oz dark chocolate 85-90% or unsweetened
5 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 teaspoons creme de cacao
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
150g/5.3oz sugar of choice (I use raw granulated), divided
120 g/4.3oz ground almonds/almond flour
Instructions
Melt chocolate, set aside.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and half of the sugar until stiff and glossy like meringue, set aside.
In another bowl, beat egg yolks, add remaining sugar and flavours and beat until thick and light in colour.
Mix in and combine the melted chocolate, then the ground almonds.
Fold in the egg whites meringue into the mixture a quarter at a time until just incorporated.
Scrape into prepped spring form pan. Bake at 325F/165C or until a skewer inserted comes out clean, around 60 minutes.
Invert and cool for an hour or longer before removing from tin. Allow to cool thoroughly.
For the topping
Ingredients
200g/7oz raw granulated sugar
225g/8oz sliced almonds
60g bittersweet or dark chocolate
1 teaspoon cognac
1/2 teaspoon amaretto
Instructions
Have the cake ready.
Lightly toast the almonds and set aside.
Melt the chocolate and stir in the liqueurs, set aside.
Place the sugar in a small heavy saucepan on a low heat and allow to melt and lightly caramelise without stirring, turn off the heat and quickly add and gently stir in the toasted almonds to coat evenly.
Quickly scrape out the almond mixture onto the top of the cake, distributing evenly, and gently press down the topping with a spoon or spatula before mixture cools.
When the topping has cooled, melt the chocolate and stir in the liqueurs. Set aside for a minute or two to cool slightly then dot or drizzle over the cake topping. Allow to cool
To serve, slice cake through topping with a sharp knife. Serve with a scoop of ice cream as wished.
