Tinkering, Part II

This is a good recipe to have in your collection for a few reasons. First, it gives you a chance to work on some essential techniques: separating eggs, whipping egg whites, and gently folding whipped egg whites into a stiff batter. Second, there's no wheat so you have a good dessert option if one of your gluten-free friends or relatives comes over for dinner. Not to mention that it's delicious. Laurie Colwin said that "[p]eople simply moan at the taste: It is perhaps the king and queen of all chocolate cakes."

Elizabeth David's Chocolate and Almond Cake

Adapted from More Home Cooking (1993) by Laurie Colwin and French Provincial Cooking (1960) by Elizabeth David, via La Belle Cuisine

For the almonds, you can grind up raw almonds in a food processor or a powerful blender or you can use almond flour, such as Trader Joe's Blanched Almond Flour, which works well and costs about the same as a pound of whole almonds. You can also use it to make Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies.

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pieces (~9 squares of Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate)
1 tablespoon brandy or rum
1 tablespoon brewed espresso or black coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 ounces (~½ cup minus 1 tablespoon) sugar
3 ounces almond flour or ground almonds (see note)
3 eggs, separated

    1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 290°F. Butter an 8-inch springform pan (or butter the sides of an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper).
    2. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate, together with the brandy, espresso, vanilla, and salt.
    3. Stir in the butter, sugar, and almond flour. When the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat.
    4. Beat the egg yolks until they are uniform in color, then stir them into the chocolate mixture.
    5. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks that are glossy but still moist. You can do this with a mixer or by hand with a whisk. Fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture.
    6. Gently scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes; the cake will have some cracks on top and a tester should not come out clean. The cake will rise while it bakes, then fall as it cools.
    7. Cool completely on a wire rack before removing the side of the springform pan. Serve as is or with: a dusting of powdered sugar; lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side; or covered with whipped cream or raspberry jelly.