Butter and flour for cake
-pan
1/4 c Raisins (or use currants,
-dried unsweetened
-cranberries, dried
-cherries, or coarsely
-chopped apricots)
1/4 c Scotch whiskey (or the
-liquor of your choice)
7 oz Sweet choclate, in pieces (I
-always use bittersweet)
1/2 c Butter
3 Eggs, separated
2/3 c Sugar
4 1/2 tb Cake flour
2/3 c Blanched almonds, pulverized
1 pn Salt
FROSTING
3 oz Choclate
3 tb Butter
3 tb Powdered sugar
Source: Simone Beck, Simca’s cuisine
(Note: this is for an 8-1/2 inch pan. I sometimes add 50% to the
ingredients and use a larger pan.)
Method: Preheat oven to 375.
Cut a round of waxed paper to fit the bottom of the cake pan, butter one
side, and lay in the pan with buttered side up. Butter sides of pan and
flour both bottom and sides. (Note: I recomment using a springform pan if
you have a tight one.
Steep the raisins (or whatever) in the whiskey (or whatever).
Melt the chocolate or butter, with 3 tbsp. water, in a double boiler (or in
the microwave).
Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale, creamy yellow. Then add choclate
mixture, flour, almonds, and raisin mixture (in that order).
Whip egg whites with pinch salt till stiff but not dry, then fold with
chocolate mixture. Pour into cake pan.
Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. (I have never had this cake take less
than 30 minutes and the larger version often requires an hour.) The
outside should be firm, but the middle still moist.
A fter cooling for several hours or overnight, frost. (To make frosting,
melt chocolate, add sugar, then stir in butter bit by bit.)
The cake is better the second day.
Yields
6 Servings