Chocolate Almond Torte Recipe

• 225 g of dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 175 g of butter, softened
• 5 g of almonds, crushed or grounded
• Double cream, to serve with the cake, optional
• 5 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 100 g of blanched almonds, chopped finely
• Some icing sugar, for dusting top of the cake
• 3 tbsp of self-raising flour
• 100 g of soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp of water

1. Grease a 23 cm/ 9" loose-bottomed cake tin (pan) and base line with baking parchment.
2. In a saucepan set over a very low heat, melt the chocolate with the water, stirring until smooth.
3. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, taking the pan off the heat to prevent it overheating.
4. Add the butter in small amounts until it has melted into the chocolate.
5. Remove from the heat and lightly stir in the ground almonds and flour.
6. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks, then fold them into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon.
8. Stir in the chopped almonds. Pour the mixture into the tin (pan) and level the surface with a palette knife (spatula).
9. Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C/ 350°F, for about 40-45 minutes until well risen and firm (the cake will crack on the surface during cooking).

Baking Tips

1. Leave the cake to cool in the tin (pan) for about 30 minutes, then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
2. Dust the cake with icing sugar and serve in slices with double cream as desired.