This is one of my all-time favourite cakes. It's so rich and chocolaty and not too sweet. We used to have it for dessert every time it was someone's birthday at IVP.
ingredients
100g (3.5oz) plain dark chocolate
60g (1/4C) butter
2 T water
125g (1/2C + 2T) sugar
50g (1/2C) ground almonds
2 T rice flour
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar
cocoa powder and/or icing sugar to garnish
whipped cream
method
Butter and line a 22cm springform cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C (160C forced air).
Chop the chocolate. Melt it in the top of a warm double-boiler. Stir.
Add the butter and water. Keep.
Mix the sugar, ground almonds and rice flour in a bowl. Add the chocolate to the dry ingredients and mix. Add the egg yolks and mix.
Whisk the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar together until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the first rung from the bottom of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Once cooled, sift cocoa powder onto the top of the cake. For a less chocolaty finish, sift icing sugar on top. Once, for Valentine's Day, I sifted cocoa powder on top, then icing sugar in the shape of a heart using a cutout piece of paper. It was really cute. Serve with freshly whipped cream.
