A chocolate cake to remember Vienna...
Ingredients
- 4 ozs (110g) best quality dark chocolate 62% cocoa solids
- 2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) Red Jamaica Rum or strong coffee
- 4 ozs (110g/1 stick) butter, preferably unsalted
- 4 ozs (110g/1/2 cup) castor sugar
- 3 free-range eggs
- 1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) castor sugar
- 2 ozs (55g/scant 1/2 cup) plain white flour
- 2 ozs (55g/scant 1/2 cup) whole almonds
Chocolate Icing
- 6 ozs (175g) best quality dark chocolate 62% cocoa solids
- 3 tablespoons (3 American tablespoons + 3 teaspoons) Red Jamaica Rum or strong coffee
- 6 ozs (175g/1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- crystallized violets or toasted almonds or praline
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
- Grease two 7 inch (18 cm) sandwich tins and line the base of each with greaseproof paper.
- Melt the chocolate with the rum on a very gentle heat, peel the almonds and grind in a liquidiser or food processor they should still be slightly gritty.
- Cream the butter, and then add the castor sugar, beat until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
- Add 1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of castor sugar and continue to whisk until they reach the stiff peak stage.
- Add the melted chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture and then add the almonds.
- Stir in 1/4 of the egg white mixture followed by 1/4 of the sieved flour.
- Fold in the remaining eggs and flour alternatively until they have all been added.
- Divide between the two prepared tins and make a hollow in the centre of each cake.
IMPORTANT: Cake should be slightly underdone in the centre. Sides should be cooked but the centre a little unset. Depending on the oven, it can take between 19 and 25 minutes.
Chocolate Butter Icing
- Melt best quality chocolate with rum. Whisk in unsalted butter by the tablespoon. Beat occasionally until cool.
- When the cake is completely cold, fill and ice with the mixture.
- Pipe the remaining icing around the top and decorate with crystallized violets or primroses or toasted flaked almonds.
