Best Chocolate And Almond Cake Recipes

ALMOND PRALINE CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING AND CHOCOLATE BARK

Steps:

• For ganache filling:
• Simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• For almond cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack.
• For almond praline:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool. Peel foil off praline. Chop praline coarsely. DO AHEAD Praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• For mascarpone frosting:
• Beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off paper. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. Store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• For chocolate bark:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• Press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. Peel foil off bark; break into pieces. Press edges into frosting atop cake. Remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. Using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. DO AHEAD Chill up to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES WITH CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE AND MARCEL'S CARAMEL-BANANA-CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12 by 17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the sides of the baking sheet with melted butter.
• In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then stir in the almond meal.
• In an electric stand mixer or in a large bowl with handheld electric beaters, whip the egg whites until frothy, then add a pinch of salt. Whip the whites to soft peaks, then add the sugar gradually. Continue whipping until the peaks are firm yet glossy. Gently fold in one-third of the dry ingredients, then fold in the remainder.
• Pour the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake until the cake springs back when touched, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, then place the baking sheet in the freezer until the cake is cold.
• For the ice cream: Peel the bananas and mash them roughly with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly against the mashed bananas, and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine 6 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon juice, and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook until the syrup begins to turn a rich caramel color, about 3 minutes. Once it begins to change color, it darkens quickly, so watch carefully, swirling the pan so the caramel cooks evenly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the half-and-half and cream-carefully, as they will splatter. Stir in another 6 tablespoons sugar and return the pan to medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the caramel.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale. Whisk in about 1 cup of the hot caramel mixture to warm the egg mixture, then pour the combined mixture into the saucepan of caramel and cook, stirring, until it visibly thickens and reaches 178°F on an instant-read thermometer. Pour over the bananas and stir well. Chill quickly in an ice bath. When cold, stir in the chocolate chips.
• Churn in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until the ice cream is firm enough to spread without melting.
• Take the cake from the freezer. Put a sheet of parchment paper and a cooling rack on top, then invert the cake. Remove the baking sheet and top sheet of parchment, and cut the cake in half across the middle of the long side. Spread one half with ice cream, making an evenly thick layer. Invert the other half, including the parchment sheet under it, over the ice cream. Return the cake to the freezer for at least 2 hours.
• To serve, take the cake from the freezer and remove the top sheet of parchment. With a serrated knife, trim the edges of the cake neatly. Cut the cake in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 5 triangles. Transfer the triangles to a serving platter, lifting them away from the bottom sheet of parchment. Serve immediately.

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.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
• Finely grind 1/2 cup almonds, flour and salt in processor. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Fold in almond mixture, then chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (center will fall). Press edges down with fork to level top. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Beat cream in large bowl to firm peaks. Mound cream atop cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of 8-inch square baking pan with parchment. Finely grind almonds, chocolate, orange peel and cinnamon in processor. In medium bowl of electric mixer, beat yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar until light yellow and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Mix in nut mixture (mixture will be very thick). Using clean dry bowl and beater, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Mix half of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Turn out cake and remove paper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly; store at room temperature.)
• For sauce:
• Melt chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Mix in half and half and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and stir until smooth. Cool. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Whip cream and sugar until peaks form. Cut cake into squares and place on plates. Top each square with mound of whipped cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Arrange orange slices in front of cake squares.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE AND TOASTED ALMOND CREAM

Steps:

• To make the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring, over high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chocolates and the butter in a medium bowl. When the sugar mixture boils, pour it over the chocolates and stir until blended. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the 11/2 tablespoons sugar and the eggs. Using a mixer set at high speed, whip the eggs and sugar until the mixture falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon-like pattern when the beater is lifted. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a spatula to lighten. Fold in the remaining egg mixture.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Spray 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or 6 (2 by 3-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and place them in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them. Divide the batter among the ramekins, place the roasting pan in the oven, and add enough water to the pan to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, about 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and cream and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Bring cream and almonds to a boil and store refrigerated for 24 hours. Strain, add vanilla and whip.
• PLATING: Dust plates with cocoa. Invert the ramekins onto the plates and add a scoop of the almond cream to each. Drizzle the chocolate over the cake and cream, sprinkle with chocolate curls, if using, and serve.

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE WITH COCONUT AND ALMOND

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease and flour two 4-ounce ramekins, tapping out any excess flour.
• Place dark chocolate, milk chocolate, almond paste, and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20 seconds at a time until butter is melted and mixture is hot, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside and allow chocolate to continue melting for 1 minute longer. Whisk mixture until smooth but slightly grainy from the almond paste.
• Combine sugar, egg, and egg yolk in a small bowl; beat with an electric mixer until it becomes very light lemon yellow in color and has doubled or tripled in volume. Fold cooled melted chocolate mixture into egg and sugar mixture until well incorporated. Stir in flour. Divide batter evenly between the prepared ramekins and sprinkle coconut flakes on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sides are firm but centers are still soft, 7 to 8 minutes. Allow to rest for 1 minute, then carefully invert ramekins on dessert plates and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE, PISTACHIO, ALMOND CAKE (RICH AND EASY)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degree.
• Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Invert onto rack and brush 1/4 cup almond liqueur over cooled cake.
• Let sit for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile mix powdered sugar with enough almond liqueur to make a nice glaze.
• Adding more or less sugar.
• Pour on cooled cake and garnish by pressing in almond slices and serve.

RASPBERRY,WHITE CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE.

Steps:

• 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f. Prepare a 2lb loaf tin ,line it with greaseproof paper.
• 2. cream the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes ,until light + fluffy. In a separate bowl beat the eggs + milk together . Add in to butter while mixing also to stop curdling add in a small amount of flour . If it does curdle though don't worry .
• 3. fold in the rest of the flour, ground almonds, lemon zest and white chocolate chips fold in well.
• 4. Then fold in the frozen raspberries , don't forget to leave out 10 for the top of the cake.
• 5. Spoon the cake mixture into your prepared loaf tin ,smooth over the top with a back of a spoon . Press in the 10 raspberries on top of cake mixture and then sprinkling over the flake almonds . Bake in your pre-heated oven for 55 minutes . Until an inserted skewer into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• 6. once ready leave to cool in tin for 15-20 minutes. Carefully removed from loaf tin and leave to rest on a wire rack. When completely cooled enjoy a slice with a big mug of coffee .... :)

CHOCOLATE, PRUNE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 20 cm square cake tin. Melt 225 g of the chocolate and all the butter together in a heavy-based pan over a low heat. Spread the nuts on a grilling tray and toast until the skins begin to blister. Rub the nuts with a cloth, discarding the skins, then return the nuts to the grill til golden brown. When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, prunes and eggs. Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
• When completely set, remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl over a pan of genly simmering water then pour the chocolate over the cake and return the cake to the fridge to set. With a large heavy knife, cut the cake in half. Then cut each half into 6 slices making 12 slices in total.

CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the pan with a circle of parchment or wax paper. Grease the paper and sides of the pan. Put the almonds in a large nonstick skillet and toast, stirring frequently, until aromatic and barely colored, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. 2. Put the cooled nuts, chocolate, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and finely grind. Reserve. In a medium bowl, blend the egg yolks, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of the sugar with an electric beater or mixer until pale and thickened, about 3 minutes. With a wooden spoon, mix in the reserved nut mixture. 3. In a clean large bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff. Mix about 1/3 of the beaten whites into the reserved nut mixture to lighten, and then gently fold in the remaining whites. 4. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and bake 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 5. If using the sauce, make it while the cake is baking. When the cake is done, let it cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, prepare the whipped cream if using. Turn out the cake and remove the paper. Invert onto a plate. You can decorate the cake while whole with the cream, sauce, and berries, or cut the cake into wedges and top each piece just before serving.From "1,000 Mexican Recipes." Copyright 2001 by Marge Poore. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.