Classic Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 ounces SCHARFFEN BERGER 62% Semisweet Chocolate, chopped*
• 10 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• SCHARFFEN BERGER Natural Cocoa Powder - Unsweetened  for dusting

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

Toast the almonds on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Transfer the almonds to a food processor, add 1/2 cup sugar, and process until finely ground.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2-inches of barely simmering water, whisking until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl for about 8 minutes, until very thick and pale and the mixture forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted. With a whisk or a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate.

With clean beaters, beat the egg whites and salt in a large deep bowl just until the egg whites form soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. Beating constantly, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating just until the whites form stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted.

With a whisk or a rubber spatula, fold the almond mixture into the chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until well blended. The mixture will be very thick. Gently fold in the egg whites, one-quarter at a time, just until blended. Transfer the batter to the springform pan and level the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out still damp but with no pieces of batter attached; do not overbake. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. The cake will fall. Run a table knife around the edge of the cake, remove the sides of the pan, and place the cake on a serving plate. Dust generously with the cocoa and serve cut into wedges.

Serves 8 to 10

*Note:  If you don’t have the specific chocolate called for, substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity - the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor.  Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.