Chocolate Gooey Almond Cake
This chocolate cake does for dessert what the little black dress did for fashion. Take a simple black dress, slip on pumps and add an eye catching accessory and you’re good to go. Same dress, different jewelry, switch out the shoes, and you have a whole new look. I think we can all agree that there isn’t any look in fashion classier than the little black dress.
That is the same line of thinking I had when I read this recipe. In its simplest form, this cake is an elegant dessert dressed in nothing more than berries and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. However, change up the ingredients just slightly and this cake becomes much more. Its adaptable nature will make it an indispensable recipe in your chocolate cake repertoire. Think of the possibilities. A grating of orange zest added to the batter, a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce, and voilà, a completely different dessert is created. Coconut coupled with that gooey nutty filling and you’re only one step away from a riff on German Chocolate Cake. A serving of caramel ice cream on the side and you are all the way there. Shall I keep going?
The versatility of this cake is not what first garnered my attention. It was that gooey chocolate center that had me drooling. I will share with you a little known fact about my taste in flour-less chocolate cakes. If they are dense and fudge-like, they are not for me. My preference leans towards the lighter side. True, the gooey center of this cake isn’t exactly airy, but it is creamy, keeping the overall cake deeply moist and rich.
Whether all dressed up, or simple and elegant, you cannot go wrong with this cake. Keep it within easy reach in your baking ‘closet’. It is a classic that promises never to go out of style.
Chocolate Gooey Almond Cake
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
7 ounces ground almonds, or almond meal (Approximately 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup cocoa powdered, plus extra for dusting, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
Raspberries and sweetened whipped cream, to serve
Heat oven to 375˚F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk together the sugar and eggs until very thick and pale. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the ground almonds, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and almond extract if using.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until just set. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
Carefully release the side of the springform pan and remove the cake to a serving platter. Dust with cocoa powder and top with raspberries. Serve with sweetened whipped cream on the side.
Yield: One 9-inch cake, approximately 12 servings.
Source: Adapted from Woman & Home Magazine
I love a gooey texture and the cake looks very moist. Bonus points for how versatile it is – the cogs are already turning on the different flavour combinations I could try. It looks delicious! 🙂
Thanks Nazia. I’ve come up with several more variations just since writing the post. All that creating has me hungry for chocolate cake. 🙂
Your “little black dress” is STUNNING!
A classic.
And the “accessories” of whipped cream and raspberries are a touch of class.
Absolute perfection.
Cannot wait to taste….
Mary, I can’t get over the deep, gooey interior of this cake. How decadent, and yes, versatile, too! I can imagine riffing on this indefinitely. Definitely a must for me to try.
Thanks Liren. This cake is definitely a delicious blank canvas.
Mary, Another masterpiece! What a pleasure it is every time you post a new magnificent recipe. Thank you!!
Thank you so much Kathy. I appreciate the blog love!
This cake has definitely caught my attention. It does sound like the perfect little black dress! I love your suggestions!!
Thanks Lynna!
My husband adores chocolate, the darker the better. He would find this cake very appealing! Adding a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream would make him very happy!
This just might be my Valentine treat for him!
Deb, as I was posting this recipe, it crossed my mind that it would be the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert.
Could you add chopped hazelnuts and some hazelnut flavoring, or would it get lost? I was also wondering what a Mexican chocolate theme might be like?
Looks delicious.
Hazelnuts would be wonderful in this cake. As for hazelnut flavoring, I’ve never used it so I’m not sure if it would get lost in this cake, be the perfect accent, or overtake it. A Mexican chocolate theme actually crossed my imagination when I was creating variations on this recipe. I think it would be just lovely.
Mary, this cake combines two of my favorite desserts–almond cake and molten chocolate cake. The crackly top and gooey center look to-die-for. I agree that this would be a simple yet crowd-pleasing dessert that everyone should have in their arsenal.
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Thanks Maral! It was an easy cake to make and I look forward to putting my own spin on it the next time an occasion calls for cake.
Can this cake be frozen?
I apologize for the delay in answering your question, and I assume you had to make the decision without my advise. I have never tried to freeze this cake, and personally I don’t think it would freeze very well. That said, if you did decide to give it a go, let me know what the result was. Thanks for following along at Sifting Focus. I truly appreciate it!
I apologize for the delay in answering your question, and I assume you had to make the decision without my advise. I have never tried to freeze this cake, and personally I don’t think it would freeze very well. That said, if you did decide to give it a go, let me know what the result was. Thanks for following along at Sifting Focus. I truly appreciate it!