Chocolate and Almond Cake

Recipe number six for the JC100 celebration is Julia's Chocolate and Almond cake! I made a bundt cake, and topped it off with crushed hazelnuts and bits of toffee all around! The cake is fluffy and full of flavor from the almonds and rum added to the cake batter, in combination with Julia's chocolate buttercream frosting. I am in awe of Julia's techniques, explicit writing style and true passion for cooking! It is as if you are actually in the kitchen with her when following her instructions. With attention to detail, she provides the reader with the confidence needed to complete complex dishes that they may not otherwise have dared to attempt! Make this cake and enjoy it! My niece, mother, and I did on a hot summer afternoon.

Cake Ingredients

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted with 2 tablespoons rum or coffee (I used rum extract)
1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup pulverized almonds (I used hazlenuts)
crushed toffee bits
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour (I used all-purpose)


Frosting

2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons rum or coffee (I used rum extract)
5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour baking pan.

Place chocolate and rum/coffee in small pan set over larger pan of almost simmering water. 

Remove pans from heat and allow chocolate to melt while stirring. Cream butter and sugar using electric 

mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks. Beat egg whites and salt in separate bowl until soft peaks 

form. Sprinkle on the 1 tablespoon sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Blend melted chocolate, almonds, 

and almond extract into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in 1/3rd of the egg whites followed by 1/3rd of the flour. 

Alternate flour and whites until all ingredients are combined. Bake for about 25 minutes until knife comes 

out clean. Remove from pan 10 minutes after baking. 
Allow to cool completely before frosting (approximately 1hr).

To make the frosting:

Melt chocolate and rum/coffee in small pan placed in a large pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and 
stir until chocolate is melted. Beat in butter one tablespoon at a time. Next, place in a bowl filled with ice water 

and continue to mix until consistency is perfect for spreading. Apply to cake. Add hazelnuts to the top of the 
cake and 

toffee bits all around.

*Excerpted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. Copyright © 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted with permission from the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. 

mixing the melted chocolate with butter and sugar

about to add egg whites to chocolate butter mixture

adding almonds to the cake batter

 beautiful bundt!

cutting into the cake

happy face!

I will be participating in the The Food Experiments again this year. Last year the Boston theme was Pie, where I made a savory quiche. This year is the cake experiment, happening tomorrow at the Middle East in Cambridge from 6PM-9PM! I will be teaming up with friend, Natalie Elpek. We will be creating a to-die-for cake! Keep a lookout for my recap post of the event. I am looking forward to this fun event, and sampling all of the other cakes!

Bon Appétit !