Recipe from “The Food of Spain,” by Claudia Roden (Ecco). Tested at Denver’s altitude. Makes 1 cake.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 tablespoons water
11
2/3 tablespoons (1 1/3sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 cup (4 ounces) ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup rum
FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Break up 5 ounces of chocolate and heat with the water in a double boiler or in a Pyrex bowl placed on top of a pan of gently boiling water until almost melted. Add the butter and let them both melt. Remove from heat.
With a fork, beat the egg yolks, sugar, ground almonds, baking powder and rum in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the melted chocolate and butter and mix well.
With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the chocolate mixture.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform cake pan, preferably nonstick. Bake for about 55 minutes, until firm. Let cool, then turn out the cake.
For the optional topping, melt 2 ounces chocolate with 2 tablespoons of water in a double boiler or a Pyrex bowl placed on top of a pan of gently boiling water. Add sugar and butter, let the butter melt, and mix well. Spread topping over the cooled cake.
Serve with heavy cream or whipped cream.
