Almond Chocolate Cake with Ganache

This is a very rich cake, I like it best served a little warm. This is from the cookbook Chocolate Cake by Michele Urvater.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 15

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  blanched almond, finely ground
• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 13  tablespoons sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 4  ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1⁄2 cup honey
• 1  cup buttermilk

• Ganache

• 8  ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 8  ounces heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350, grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
2. sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the almonds, combine with a whisk and set aside.
3. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter for about 1 minute, or until the butter is lighter in color.
4. Slowly add the sugar, about 2 Tbls at a time.
5. When all of the sugar is added, continue to beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; the mixture will look fluffy like something between mayonnaise and whipped cream.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds between each addition.
7. Add the melted chocolate and honey and beat for a few seconds until smooth.
8. With a rubber spatula, fold the sifted ingredients into the batter in 3 segments, alternating with the buttermilk which is added 1/2 cup at a time.
9. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks smooth.
10. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
12. Cool the cake on a wire rack.
13. Ganache:
14. Heat the cream on the stove until just under a boil.
15. Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.
16. Stir until the chocolate is all melted and thouroughly combined into the cream.
17. Frost the top of the cake only with the ganache while the cake is still warm.
18. Serve at room temperature.