Almond Chocolate Cake Food

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
• Place a medium saucepot on medium heat and bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a simmer. Place a medium bowl on top of the saucepot and add the semisweet chocolate and coconut oil. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate until fully melted and combined with the coconut oil, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and set aside. Leave the saucepot with the water on the stove.
• Place the almonds in a food processor and grind until a powdery consistency is reached. Transfer the almonds to a large bowl and add the quinoa, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir to combine the dry ingredients, then add the melted chocolate mixture, coconut milk, vanilla and eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool slightly.
• For the ganache: Reheat the water in the saucepot over medium heat to bring to a simmer. Place another medium bowl over the water and add the semisweet chocolate and coconut milk. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the chocolate until fully melted and combined with the coconut milk.
• Drizzle the ganache over the cake, top with raspberries and serve.

CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and fit a circle of parchment paper at the base.
• Bring the butter just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the butter warm while you make the cake batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended. Add the almond flour and whisk. If the almond flour is lumpy, use your fingers to break up the clumps. Switch to a spatula and add the egg whites in 3 additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and easily flows off the spatula. Stir in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the butter in 3 additions, folding until it is completely incorporated and you've got a smooth batter with a light sheen. Stir in the chopped chocolate, mixing well. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
• Bake until golden brown, evenly risen and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 37 to 40 minutes. A tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and leave for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the sides of the pan, flip the cake over, remove the pan, peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving or covering with ganache.
• If you'd like, make the topping: Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and cream together until blended, thick and shiny. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or kitchen knife to spread it across the cake. Scatter over the toasted almonds. Either leave the cake on the counter to allow the ganache to set a bit (it will never be really firm) or refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. The cake is best at room temperature. Covered, it will keep for about 3 days at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE WITH SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Make the sugared cranberries: Bring 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Put the cranberries in a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them; let sit 1 hour. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar with the cardamom in a large bowl. Drain the cranberries, add to the spiced sugar and toss to coat. Spread the cranberries and sugar on a rimmed baking sheet. Let sit, rerolling the cranberries in the sugar occasionally until dry, 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice and cardamom in a large bowl; set aside. Put the cocoa powder in a separate large bowl. Heat 1 cup water in a small saucepan until almost simmering; pour over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside until slightly cooled, about 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs to the cocoa mixture and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until just combined. Add the granulated sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans; lightly tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment. (The cake layers can be made 1 day ahead; let cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.)
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase the mixer speed to high and beat, scraping down the side of the bowl, until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk and almond liqueur; beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Halve 1/2 cup of the sugared cranberries. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with 1 cup frosting, then sprinkle with the halved cranberries. Top with the second cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Top with the remaining sugared cranberries.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Stir, then leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, tip the eggs and sugar into a second bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until everything is one even colour, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is puffed up and has cracked on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins - it will deflate as it cools. Serve warm as a chocolate pudding, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as a fudgy brownie cake. Dust with extra cocoa powder before serving.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and extracts; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , For frosting, cream butter, sugar and extracts in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over cake. Decorate with almonds.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE (NO FLOUR)

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes-save yolks for step 6.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine almonds and 2 tablespoons of sugar; using a food processor put small amounts of this mixture into processor, cover and process until ground--you want this to be fine textured.
• Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the chocolate, espresso, cocoa, orange juice, espresso granules, vanilla, and reserved almond mixture.
• Beat reserved egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.
• Fold egg whites into the batter.
• Pour into a greased 9 inch spring form pan.
• Place pan on a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 42 to 48 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool completely.
• Garnish with confectioners' sugar, chocolate curls, and coffee beans if desired.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350, grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
• sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the almonds, combine with a whisk and set aside.
• With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter for about 1 minute, or until the butter is lighter in color.
• Slowly add the sugar, about 2 Tbls at a time.
• 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.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds between each addition.
• Add the melted chocolate and honey and beat for a few seconds until smooth.
• 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.
• Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks smooth.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack.
• Ganache:.
• Heat the cream on the stove until just under a boil.
• Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.
• Stir until the chocolate is all melted and thouroughly combined into the cream.
• Frost the top of the cake only with the ganache while the cake is still warm.
• Serve at room temperature.