Chocolate Almond Cake

this chocolate almond cake is very rich, so small pieces please...that way your guests can come back for seconds!

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 -3  tablespoons cocoa powder
• 140  g dark chocolate, chopped
• 1  teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 50  ml water
• 5  large eggs, separated
• 340  g sugar
• 125  g butter, diced
• 55  g  dried breadcrumbs
• 225  g  finely ground  almonds
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 450  ml  double cream or 450  ml  whipping cream
• 30  g icing sugar
• 1  whole  almonds, to decorate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 170*C.
2. Butter a 23 cm round springform cake tin and dust the bottom and side with sifted cocoa powder, tipping out the excess.
3. Combine the chocolate, coffee powder and water in a double boiler over medium heat.
4. Simmer, stirring until the chocolate melts, about 5 minutes.
5. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and butter and beat together until fluffy.
7. Beat in the chocolate mixture, breadcrumbs and ground almonds.
8. Clean the beaters thoroughly.
9. In another large bowl, with the mixer at high speed, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks form; set aside.
10. using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, beat about 2 TBs of the egg whites into the cake mix to lighten it, then fold in the remainder.
11. DO NOT OVERMIX> Spoon into the cake tin and smooth the top.
12. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the middle of the cake feels firm and springs back when touched.
13. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
14. In a large bowl, beat the cream with the icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
15. Remove the cake from the pan and sift some icing sugar over top.
16. Decorate with the almonds and serve with the whipped cream.