French Chocolate Almond Cake With Strawberries

Submitted by Summerwine

"This is something I dug out of my recipe book. After making it I will treat this more of a souffle type dish as you have to make sure it doesn't 'fall' during cooking. Do not open the oven until necessary and no running or undue noise whilst baking."

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• For the cake

• 4 eggs
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon almond extract

• For the filling

• 3⁄4 cup butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons cocoa
• 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract

• For the frosting glaze

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• fresh strawberries (to garnish)
• slivered almonds (optional)
• powdered sugar (optional)

directions

1. Materials: Wax/Greaseproof paper; 2 8" round cake pans.
2. Place cake pan on wax paper and trace 2 circles with a pencil; Cut out.
3. Grease bottom only of cake pans and place the wax paper in the pan.
4. Combine flour, cornstarch and baking powder; set aside.
5. In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar with electric mixer on until fluffy; Add almond extract.
6. Sift flour into mixture; and blend well.
7. Divide the cake mixture into both cake pans evenly.
8. Bake at 375F for about 30 minutes; taking note of your own oven variations.
9. Prepare the filling.
10. Beat together butter and sugar until creamy.
11. Add egg yolks, then cocoa; mix well.
12. Stir in almond extract until the mixture is smooth.
13. For the glaze: Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over saucepan containing boiling water; Cool.
14. Slide a knife around the cake that should be cooling by now and remove it from the pan.
15. Remove the wax paper and put on cake plate.
16. Spread filling over just the top of the first cake.
17. Place 2nd cake on top.
18. Drizzle glaze over top of cake and garnish with strawberries, almonds slivers (optional); Sprinkle powdered sugar over top (optional).
19. NOTE: This is a bit like a soufflé where you have to make sure you don’t open the oven until it is about done; As you can see from my photo this one flopped a bit but was still gorgeous!