Chocolate Almond Nut Cake *Baking Partners*

My home is gearing up for the season ... the tree is up, the gifts packed, the cakes and other goods being baked, packed and sent....Among the routine baking orders, here's what my daughter and I baked to take a break.. she from her exams and me from Rachel.

From this month onwards, I am baking with the Baking Partners Group and there were three recipes in keeping with the festive season. I chose to do a Brazilian Nut Cake inspite of Brazilian Nuts being unavailable in India. I chose to use Almonds instead. Am sure there will be a mighty difference in flavour between the two nuts... but trust me this cake was different and nice...

 I halved the recipe. So here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups Brazilian nuts (about 7 oz) I used Almonds

6 OZ semisweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup Sugar

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¾ cup (6 oz) unsalted butter slightly softened

6 eggs separated, room temperature

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Choolate Honey Frosting

½ cup whipping cream

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped

6 tbs (3 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool

3 tbs+ 1 sp-honey

Garnish

¼ cup Brazil nuts (Almonds )chopped

Cake

Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Toast nuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer nuts into large strainer.Rub nuts against the strainer with a towel and remove most of the skin and keep aside.

Melt chocolate in double boiler or heatproof medium bowl over hot, not simmering, water over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, remove and set aside to cool.

Butter 9”x3” springform pan, line base with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides of the pan

Grind the nuts with 2 tbs sugar into a fine powder. Transfer into a bowl and sift flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.

Cream butter and 6 tbs of sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat till all 6 are blended and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate.

In another bowl beat egg white and cream of tartar in medium speed until it forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tbs of sugar and beat till white are stiff and shiny but not dry.

Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the chocolate flour mixture, repeat folding in batches until batter is blended.

Transfer batter into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Using a spatula go around the cake gently and invert onto a cake rack and allow cooling completely.

Frosting

Bring cream to a full boil in a small saucepan remove from heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Stir quickly till the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature. Hip this at high speed till it thickens and becomes pale.Cream butter in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, gradually add the chocolate mixture and honey and beat well

Using a long spatula spread frosting evenly on the side and top of the cake. Fill the center with flaked almonds