CHOCOLATE-ALMOND TORTE

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Chocolate-Almond Torte image

This recipe, adapted from The Viennese Pastry Cookbook: From Vienna with Love, by Lilly Joss Reich, requires a Rehrucken mold-a loaf pan with a rounded, ridged bottom.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/2 cup sugar plus additional for dusting
1 3/4 cups whole unblanched almonds (9 ounces), finely ground
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground allspice
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
4 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup slivered blanched almonds
Special equipment: a 12-inch-long metal Rehrucken mold

Steps:

  • Make cake:
  • Preheat oven to 350°. Butter mold and dust with sugar, knocking out excess.
  • Stir together ground almonds, chocolate, and spices in a bowl. Beat yolks with 1/4 cup sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, then beat in zest.
  • Beat whites with salt with cleaned beaters in a large bowl until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites just hold stiff peaks.
  • Stir one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites in 2 more batches. Fold in ground almond mixture.
  • Pour batter into mold and bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in mold on a rack 10 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.
  • Make icing:
  • Melt chocolate with 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring. Remove from heat and add remaining 5 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth. Transfer icing to a bowl and chill, covered, until slightly thickened and spreadable, about 30 minutes.
  • Decorate cake:
  • Spread icing over cake with a small metal spatula. Stick points of almonds into cake in straight rows, following ridges, to resemble a porcupine. Chill cake until icing is set, at least 1 hour. Transfer cake to a platter and bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Cooks' note: • You can chill iced cake, loosely covered, up to 3 days.
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