Recipe:

¼ c. cocoa
6 oz. almonds, toasted
1  ½ c. sugar
8 oz. El Rey Bucare 58.5% or Mijao 61% chocolate
12 Tbls. butter (or 6 oz.)
6 eggs, separated
lc. all purpose flour, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
• Melt the chocolate.
• Grind the almonds and ½ c. sugar in a food processor. Add the cocoa.
• Cream the butter and ½ c. sugar. Then, add the egg yolks, one at a time, scrapping the sides of the mixing bowl.
• Combine the egg mixture, the chocolate, and the ground almonds. Mix together (mixture will be dry and crumbly).
• Whip egg whites to stiff peak, gradually adding remaining ½ c. sugar.
• Mix 1/3 egg whites into chocolate mixture (to aerate the chocolate mixture). Then, fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Pour into a 10” spring form pan that has been sprayed with baker’s spray and lined at the bottom with parchment paper.
• Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 325 degrees and continue baking another 30 to 40 minutes or until done. The cake will rise and be firm in the center when ready.
• Allow cake to cool completely.
• Using a cake knife, trim the top of the cake until it is level. Remove the entire top layer as it tends to be fragile and crusty.
• Brush away the crumbs.

Variations:
• This cake can be prepared using pecans or hazelnuts.
• This cake also tastes wonderful served warm with some powdered sugar on top. If you opt to serve the cake this way, do not trim the top.

Ganache

8 oz. El Rey Apamate 73.5% chocolate
l c. heavy cream
2 oz. almonds, toasted and ground

• Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
• Heat heavy cream to the boiling point.
• Add heavy cream to the chocolate and whisk together.
• To finish, place the cake on a 10” cake circle or on the inverted spring form base.
• Place a cooling rack atop a clean sheetpan. Put the cake on the cooling rack.
• Pour the ganache over the cake, covering as much as possible. Use an offset spatula to scrape off the excess ganache and level the top of the cake.
• Allow the ganache to harden somewhat, then press the ground nuts onto the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate.

Note: if you would like to transfer the cake to a nice serving platter, partially freezing the cake will make it much easier to move.

Raspberry Cream

2c. heavy cream
1/3 c. sugar
20 raspberries
½  tsp. vanilla

• Puree the raspberries
• Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff
• Add the raspberry puree. Whisk together until combined.

Note: When whipping heavy cream, be careful not to over-whip it. The cream must be
stiff enough to pipe from a pastry bag. Over- whipping the cream will make it grainy
and cause it to separate.

Chocolate Garnish

8 oz. El Rey Apamate 73.5% chocolate

• Temper the chocolate by melting and heating in a double boiler to 86 degrees.
• Using an offset spatula spread the chocolate on a sheet of parchment paper. Be sure to spread an area larger than the base of the spring form pan.
• When the chocolate has begun to set up (it will no longer have the very shiny appearance it had when melted), lay the base of the spring form pan over it and cut out a circle.
• Cut the circle into 8, 12, or 16 pieces — however many slices you want to cut your cake. By this time, the chocolate will probably have set up. Dip your knife in hot water, and then dry it. The warmth of the knife will allow you to continue cutting the chocolate.
• As long as it is stored in a cool place — not the refrigerator — the chocolate garnish can be prepared well in advance.
• Just before putting the chocolate garnish on the cake, sift powdered sugar over the top.

Vanilla Sauce

2 c. half and half
½ vanilla bean, scraped
6 egg yolks
½ c. sugar

• Whisk together sugar and egg yolks.
• Scrape the vanilla bean into the half and half
• Bring the half and half to a boil.
• Just before the boiling point, pour half of the liquid into the egg mixture and whisk together. (This will temper the eggs.)
• When the half and half boils, add the egg mixture to the boiling liquid and turn down heat to medium.
• Stir the sauce while it is cooking.
• Cook the sauce until it thickens and coats the back of the wooden spoon.
• Strain the sauce, pouring it into a clean container.
• Cool the sauce in an ice-water bath, stirring occasionally as it cools.

Note: If you overcook the sauce, it will separate. If this happens, blend it immediately using a hand-held blender. Usually, this will save the sauce.