Anyone Can Bake #1: Chocolate Almond Cake

Dear Earthlings (and disguised Spacelings),

Who doesn't love a good slice of chocolate cake? I always have problems in searching for heavenly chocolate cake recipe. Be it from baking method or steaming recipe; most of my attempts did not come out to my exact liking. They might be too dense that I would have trouble swallowing it. Or they might be too dry that I could have just bought one from a nearest store. Pfft.

Browsing using keywords of featherlight chocolate cake recipe, the famous Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking popped out on the result. This recipe calls for an extremely good chocolate cake for its creamy and rich yet fluffy and light at the same time. Too good to be true? Try it so you may do the judging yourselves.

'Courtesy of ApronStringsBlog.com'

Reine de Saba avec Glaçage au Chocolat

(Chocolate and Almond Cake with Chocolate Icing)

What You'll Need:

(For the Cake)

8 tbsp of semisweet chocolate melted with 2 tbsp of instant coffee
8 tbsp of softened butter
2/3 cup of castor sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of granulated sugar
2/3 cup of pulverized almonds (almonds finely blended with 1 tsp of granulated sugar)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup of cake flour

(For the Icing)

4 tbsp of semisweet baking chocolate
2 tbsp of instant coffee
6 tbsp of unsalted butter

Now Let's Get Baking:

(For the Cake)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Butter and flour the cake pan. Double boil the chocolate and instant coffee in a small pan.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture. Beat in the egg yolks until well blended.

4. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed.

5. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in almonds, and almond extract. Immediately stir one fourth of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter.

6. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding. Alternate rapidly with more egg whites and more flour until all egg whites and flour are incorporated.

7. Turn the batter into the cake pan. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes.

8. Cake is done when it has puffed, and 2-1/2 to 3 inches around the circumference are set so that a needle plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily.

9. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run knife around the edge of the pan, and reverse cake on the rack. Allow it to cool for an hour or two; it must be thoroughly cold if it is to be iced.

(For the Icing)

Double boil the chocolate and instant coffee in the small pan until perfectly smooth. Lift chocolate pan out of the hot water and beat in the butter a tablespoon at a time. Then beat over the ice and water until chocolate mixture has cooled to spreading consistency. At once spread it over your cake with spatula or knife, and press a design of almonds over the icing.

Baked with much loves, people!